


Inhuman: Fang's Embrace

by MarcelinaRose



Series: Inhuman Series [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Drama & Romance, Emotional Manipulation, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Half-Siblings, Human/Vampire Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, LGBTQ Character, Monarchy, Multi, Past Abuse, Step-siblings, Tension, Terrorism, Vampire Bites, Vampire Family, Vampire Hunters, Vampire Turning, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-01 20:01:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 47,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20388121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarcelinaRose/pseuds/MarcelinaRose
Summary: Learning about the supernatural was Sarah's shtick. She loved everything about it from the small tidbits about werewolves to the nitty gritty bombshells about demons. While she loved it, she knew it was nothing but fiction. She wasn't prepared to realize just how wrong she was.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The suburban town of Willowcrest was normally silent due to not many visitors in the area passing through. Occasionally, there would be a rush because of a holiday or summer break for students attending school, but usually the former would be the most possible option. However, this was nothing for the residents to worry about as they continued to enjoy their daily lives: various workers were heading to their breaks after the lunch crowds had settled while others enjoyed their day off. The town was well-known for its calm atmosphere and demeanor, and there would be occasional tourists visiting to enjoy the peace and quiet they so wished to see: the crime rate was one of the lowest in the country, the weather was fair and tame unless a storm was involved, the ground was covered in rich soil that was great for farming, and whatever attractions the town had were enough for the townspeople to see. To them, it was a nice place to live and rarely stood out compared to the more common towns that surrounded big cities.

A silver-haired girl sat on a bench that rested underneath a tree, silently reading a novel and paying no attention to those around her. Children ran around the playground while their parents sat nearby to make sure their child doesn't run off, couples passed by without a care, talking with their significant other about whatever came to mind, and pet owners walked their dogs down the paths that took them in various directions. The girl occasionally glanced up once a shadow passed by before her baby blue eyes returned to the page once again, and she enjoyed the silence around her. There was a slight breeze in the area, although it helped calm her nerves and relax in the summer air.

She heard footsteps head in her direction, and she glanced up from the book to see a familiar face: a girl with chestnut-colored hair tied in two small, wavy pigtails and lime-green eyes headed towards her with a smile. The silverette closed her book and placed it in her bag before standing up as the girl approached. "I was about to consider leaving you." She stated with closed eyes.

"I know you don't have the heart to do that," The brunette replied with a nudge. "You care too much about me."

"And risk losing more time than we already have? Not a chance," The silverette girl began to walk off and the other soon followed. "Besides, I know how much you slack off, Lee."

"You think I'm that lazy? Sarah, you've wounded me."

The brunette placed the back of her hand against her forehead dramatically, causing the other to chuckle in response with a smile. "Stop acting and let's get going if we want to make it to the show in time. Did you bring our tickets?"

"How could I forget?" Lee flashed a pair of tickets with a smirk before placing them back in her bag. "We've waited months for this. There's no way I would have left them at home."

"Unless you were too excited and you left them on accident." The brunette pouted at the other's response as the two exited the park and began to head into town. They saw the sun beginning to set in the distance, and they passed by the many cars that were heading home for dinner and rest. The two girls began to glance around in hopes of finding the concert hall so they could make it to the show on time. On their way, they passed shops and cafes that littered the streets and the various pedestrians entering and exiting those buildings. "Nothing has changed, has it?" Sarah asked the other with a calm gaze.

"Nope," Lee placed her hands behind her back and glanced at the sky. "Gets kinda boring, doesn't it?"

"Most of the time, but not often," The silverette replied with closed eyes. "Sometimes, I wish there was something more to this town that the life we currently live."

"Hey, there might be something," Lee threw an arm around her friend's shoulder with a grin and pulled her close. "You probably just don't know it yet." Sarah shrugged in response before spotting the concert hall in front of them and quickly heading over. They managed to step in line before it got too long and in mere minutes, the two were able to get to their seats without problems. As Sarah looked down at her phone, Lee glanced around and noticed various other people beginning to fill the area, a few of them returning her gaze with their own. She quickly averted her eyes and turned back towards her friend, leaning on her shoulder and peering at her phone screen until the show began.

Half an hour later, the lights dimmed and the two girls glanced at the stage with smiles. Once the performance began, the crowd began to clap and cheer as loud as they could. Sarah waved her glow stick in rhythm to the music while Lee was singing at the top of her lungs, although she was drowned out by the other fans in the hall. Once she realized she wasn't heard, she stopped with a smile and joined with her friend in waving glow sticks. The crowd seemed to have a blast with the various songs that played, cheering along with the many tricks that were shown. However, Lee nor Sarah could shake the strange feeling the two of them held, but they covered their concern with smiles and continued to cheer.

After a couple hours of singing and dancing, the performer bowed and thanked the fans before he and his crew left the stage. The crowd soon began to head into different directions as the overhead lights began to brighten up the hall. Sarah and Lee grabbed their bags and started to head out with smiles, satisfied with what they witnessed. "I think that was their best performance yet." Lee said happily with a stretch as she checked the time on her phone. Sarah smiled in return and lifted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and continued to chat with the brunette. "You know, I was thinking-"

The sound of an explosion cut her off, and the two jerked their heads back to see a large puff of smoke near the stage. Their eyes widened in response once they saw fire from the smoke, and fear began to grow inside. People began to panic and made a run towards the exit, pushing and shoving each other out of the way. Sarah and Lee made sure to hold onto one another to make sure they didn't lose themselves. However, Lee slipped on someone's dress, and the two lost their grip. Sarah's eyes widened as she reached out for the brunette, but they were pushed away further, and Sarah lost sight of her through the commotion.

It wasn't long before Sarah was thrown onto the floor as more people shoved their way towards the exit. She cried out whenever someone would step on her hand or leg, and it would result in her not making progress in getting off of the floor. The silverette curled up in hopes of protecting herself from the crowd and wishing Lee had made her way back to her. However, an arm grabbed her and pulled her off of the ground and began to lead her towards a safe place away from the panic. She was half tempted to see who had saved her, although she was reluctant to lift her head in case someone shoved her aside.

For a split second, Sarah swore she heard gunshots in the distance, and it only made the crowd panic more. She heard people shouting over the screaming pedestrians, although she couldn't make out what they were saying except for a few words. The silverette grew more confused when she heard the words "freaks" and "heathens," and for a moment, she had the urge to look up to see who was yelling to know exactly what they were talking about. Although, a strong feeling in her gut told her to stay on the ground and wait for the crowd to dissipate.

A moment later, Sarah was pulled from the floor and was pushed against a wall away from the crowd, and she looked up to see a man with jet black hair and emerald eyes giving a stern gaze towards the panicking citizens and a phone pressed against his ear. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'll meet you at home," He said to the person on the other line before pausing. "Yeah, I didn't expect this either. They're getting bolder."

"U-Umm." Sarah began to speak, although she had no idea what to say.

The man glanced back towards her before speaking. "I'll see you later, I promise." He hung up and slipped a phone inside his back pocket. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah," The teen glanced back at the crowd with a concerned gaze. "W-What happened?"

"Looks like some idiot decided it was a good idea to set off a bomb," The man responded while making sure no one got to them. "If I'm right, police and firefighters are already here storming the building," Once he realized he was still holding onto her arm, he pulled back gently with an apologetic look. "Sorry for grabbing you. My protective instincts kicked in."

"It's fine. If you hadn't grabbed me, I would still be on the floor," Sarah held out her hand with a smile. "I haven't introduced myself. My name is Sarah Snow."

"Snow, huh," The man lifted an eyebrow but shook her hand as well. "I'm Luke Anderson. You wouldn't happen to be related to William Snow, would you?"

"Yes, although we're not blood related. My mother was married into the family."

"Interesting," Luke glanced around the corner to see everyone beginning to calm down somewhat, and he saw various police officers and firefighters. He turned back to Sarah with a comforting smile. "We'll be safe now that they've showed up." The silverette nodded and the two made their way down the hall, immediately being escorted outside by the police. Once they were outside the building, they saw various reporters being blocked off by fences and ambulances that waited to carry the injured. "We shouldn't worry. It's in good hands." Sarah nodded in response before glancing back at the concert hall.

"Sarah!" The two turned to see Lee running towards them with a worried gaze and she jumped on the silverette with tears. "I'm sorry! I was trying to get back to you, but people got in my way, and I thought you were in trouble-"

"I'm okay I promise," Sarah returned her hug with a smile before turning back to the ravenette. "Luke saved me from the crowd."

"I see," Lee turned to the man with a smile and bowed to him. "Thank you for saving my sister."

"No problem," Luke smiled with a shrug as he placed a hand on his hip. "I just felt it was right. If I didn't do anything, she would have been stuck there."

"I can't thank you enough," Sarah bowed to him in response before glancing around to the other citizens who were injured or giving reports to the police. "But I think the real question now is who would set off a bomb in a place like this?"

"Whoever it was is either smart or stupid," Lee crossed her arms with a lifted eyebrow before looking over at the various police officers and firefighters rushing into the concert hall. "But I think I know who would do this," She muttered her last sentence with lowered eyes and Sarah lifted an eyebrow in confusion. Lee shook her head with a smile before turning back to the silverette. "Come on. We should get going. I don't want to be around when they capture the guy."

"Yeah." Sarah turned around to thank the ravenette once again only to see that he had disappeared. Her eyes grew in confusion as she looked around to find him before coming to the conclusion that he had decided to go home. She shook her head and proceeded to follow the brunette away from the area. The smoke that rose from the building blocked the light of the moon as clouds covered the stars, the sound of sirens filled the air along with the crowds of panicking people running from the area. It didn't take long for police to track down and capture the suspect, and they quickly apprehended him without delay.

Willowcrest was in a constant panic throughout the night and the following days. The mayor had decided to cancel all future events until he was fully sure the town was completely safe. Reporters and politicians believed the incident to be an act of terrorism, and the residents wondered why terrorists would choose their town of all places in the United States. They began to fear for their lives as they realized that peace was about to come to an end, and they had no idea what to expect in the future.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The terrorist attack on Willowcrest was covered by every news network in the area and surrounding states. Hundreds were killed or injured from the blast while other injuries were from the panicking crowds. Many witnesses and victims shared their stories, and it took weeks for the residents of the town to calm themselves, and soon the media had tamed itself on the situation. However, many still had the thought of who set off the bomb, and there was small tension as time passed.

Sarah and Lee had agreed to lay low for a while so everything can settle down on its own. The two continued their lives and put the attack behind them and told each other they wouldn't let what happened get in the way of the future. Of course, they were confronted by old friends about what happened, and the girls reassured them that everything was fine and they were alright.

Sarah was in the kitchen pouring herself a glass of juice as Lee was playing video games in the living room, letting out an occasional shout whenever something didn't go her way. The silver-haired teen was about to sit on the couch until she heard a nearby phone ring. She glanced over at the caller ID before answering it with a smile. "I'm surprised you weren't one of the first to call us," She said as she entered the living room. "Don't worry, William. Lee and I are fine." Once Lee heard the name, she paused the game and turned around in her seat with her legs crossed and a lifted eyebrow. "Is he just now finding out about the attack?" She asked with a lifted eyebrow as she fixed her pigtails. Sarah shrugged at her in response before responding to the other line. "No, you don't need to do anything. Just continue taking care of Michael and Noah. I promise we have it under control. I'll talk to you soon." Sarah hung up the phone and set it back to where it should be before returning to the living room. "He was saying something about us moving back to the mansion," The silverette spoke as she sat on the couch. "So we could have extra protection in case something like this happens again."

"I don't think he has to go that far," Lee replied, dropping her controller on the carpet after she died against a boss. She huffed her breath and turned off the console and got off of the floor to join her roommate on the couch. "I don't know why he's so worried about us. I mean, we're not inheriting the money."

"He checks up on us every now and then to make sure we're okay," Sarah reminded her before taking a sip of her glass. "Plus, he's giving us half of the fortune to make sure that it's split between the four of us."

Lee pulled her legs closer to her and rested her chin on her knees with half-lidded eyes. She shrugged in response before leaning forward to stretch. "Michael's probably gonna own the estate and Noah might have something smaller. That leaves us with whatever's left."

"I don't think Michael will have that much since he's still dealing with. . ." Sarah trailed off with an averted gaze, trying to think of the right word to say about the state of their brother. "Issues." Lee lowered her head and the two sat in silence, thinking of the past years that had changed their lives. Sarah's fingers intertwined with each other as Lee closed her eyes to think.

The silence was interrupted by the brunette's ringtone, and she glanced down at the caller ID with a lifted eyebrow, having a feeling she recognized the number. "I'll be back," She briefed the silverette before standing up and exiting the living room and heading towards the hall. She brought the phone to her ear to answer it. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end spoke, and her eyes widened in response before turning into a stern gaze. "How did you get this number?" She asked with a firm tone. She stepped away to make sure Sarah wasn't able to hear her, and she retreated to the top of the stairs. "Stop dodging my question and answer me." She leaned against the wall with closed eyes and the back of her free hand placed against her forehead. At the response, her head jerked forward and she gave the phone a look of disbelief. "Why do you want me? It's been years and now you want me back." She crossed her arms with a groan and lowered her head. "Alright fine. But I'm not doing it for you." She hung up and proceeded to head to her room to slip on a pair of shoes before heading downstairs, grabbing car keys in the process. "Hey Sar, I'll be back soon."

"Okay, but be careful." The silverette called back before the brunette shut the front door behind her and headed towards the driveway.

* * *

Lee had a stern gaze on her face as she pulled up to a pair of black gates, behind them sat a castle in the middle of a clearing. Not a surprise to her, the gates opened and allowed her inside the property. She parked in front of the staircase leading to the front door and stepped out of the car, getting a good look at the residence before feeling a chill up her spine. She shook her head before approaching the door cautiously. Lee paused for a moment before slowly grabbing the handle and pushing open the door. She was welcomed by a lobby that was lit from the moonlight fluttering through the large windows. The brunette glanced around, somewhat surprised to not see many residents roaming around, but she felt as though she knew why no one was around.

Lee noticed a presence at the top of the stairs and lifted her head to see. Her eyes widened at the sight of a man with short, dark brown hair and hazel eyes gazing down at her with a surprised expression. The two stared for a moment, taking in each other's presence, before Lee slowly climbed the stairs. It wasn't long before she was two feet in front of the man, and despite her feelings, her expression reverted back to blank before speaking. "Where is your brother?" The man's eyebrows lowered in response, and Lee could tell that wasn't what he wanted to hear. Even so, he escorted her to the right wing of the castle, passing by whoever lingered in the halls. Lee could hear the whispers they were making, but she chose to ignore them and continued her way.

The two stopped in front of a door and the brunette stepped away to let her through. Lee nodded to him and walked into the room, noticing her escort close the door behind her. She looked across the room to see a much older man with jet black hair and hazel eyes sitting at a table with his head resting in his hand. He opened one eye when he saw her enter and stood up with a slight smile. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" He stepped over towards her and proceeded to place a hand on her cheek. Lee flinched and pulled away with a slight glare. "Don't treat me like an old friend and tell me why I'm here, Virgil."

"That's King Virgil to you."

"You're no king to me."

"How long do you think it's been since we last saw each other?" The man known as Virgil stepped back as the smile stayed on his face and he returned to his seat. Lee took the chair across from him. "All I want is to simply catch up and-"

"Yeah right," The brunette interrupted him with her head resting in the palm of her hand. "You probably just called me over here so you can turn me back."

"Are you saying you reject your origins?"

"Not at all," Lee leaned back in her chair and closing her eyes. She opened a half-lidded eye and gave him a blank look. "I embrace myself and what I am, but I'm not going to be turned by you." She crossed her arms with a glare. The king was silent for another moment and rested his elbows on the table. "I don't want to sound desperate-"

"I'll still say no."

"We're in great danger and we need to increase our numbers."

"That's what you think."

"Do you even know how many people died in the attack last month?"

"Why should I be worried?"

"Most of them were our kind."

"And that's supposed to convince me?" The two were silent after the response, and Lee believed the conversation was pointless. She proceeded to stand with an averted gaze and stepped over to the door. "This isn't going anywhere. I'm going home." She turned away and walked to the door while shaking her head. The brunette was seconds away from placing her hand on the door handle until Virgil spoke again. "You give me no choice. I'll have to go with plan B." Lee froze with wide eyes, knowing exactly what he meant and knowing full well it involved the man currently standing in the hall. She placed a hand on the door with fear and anger filling her chest. The brunette knew he wasn't bluffing and would do exactly what he plans the moment she walked out of the room. With a glare, Lee jerked around quickly to face the ravenette. "If you touch him, I swear-"

She cut herself off the moment she spotted crimson eyes, and the ravenette smiled at her reaction when he saw her eyes go blank and her body relax. He lifted his hand and motioned her over with a finger. "Come over here." The brunette slowly stepped over to him in a trance, and the king licked his lips seductively with a smirk. He made sure to keep his concentration or else his plan would have failed. His excitement grew as the teen continued to step closer until she was a few inches away from him. Virgil wrapped arms around her gently and tilted her head sideways, making sure her hair didn't cover her neck, the crimson in his eyes glowing brighter as a response. "Don't worry. It'll only hurt for a moment."

The door swung open, and Virgil's head jerked up with a glare to see the darker-haired brunette from earlier with wide eyes. He cursed to himself when he felt Lee slightly wiggle in his arms before jerking away with a sharp gaze. She turned back to the brunette at the door, softening her gaze as a sign of thanks before returning her glare to the king She paused for a moment before turning on her heel and exiting the room, the brunette slowly following suit and closing the door behind him.

Lee stormed down the steps with a hand on her neck, feeling around to know for sure if he bit her. "I'm done with this," She muttered. "I can never be turned back as long as he rules. Who knows what would-" She cut off when she felt arms wrap around her, and she tilted her head to see it was her escort. Lee released a heavy sigh with a soft gaze. "I know. I missed you too, but you know I can't stay. Not when he's in charge." The brunette man tightened his grip and pulled her closer, and Lee couldn't help but shake her head with a calm smile. _He's always been like this,_ she thought to herself with closed eyes. _But I have to go. Maybe we can catch up another-_

Her thoughts were cut off when she felt her head being tilted sideways and a nuzzle on the side of her neck. Her eyes widened when she saw crimson in the corner of her eye, and fear swelled inside of her. She struggled to escape from his hold, although it was clear he was much stronger than her, and he took a hold of both of her arms to keep her still. A sharp pain was felt in the side of her neck, and she cried out in pain. It wasn't long before she felt the life being drained from her as the brunette's grip tightened more. Lee felt her knees weaken and she believed no matter what she did or said, she was going to be turned back anyway.

Suddenly, Lee felt his grip loosen, and she took the chance to break free and slap a hand over the bite. She looked over at the brunette and was about to say something until she saw tears running down crimson eyes and her blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Her eyes widened more at the frightened look he was giving her. She was about to speak until she heard commotion from around the castle and knew her situation would only get worse if she stayed. Without a word, she ran out the castle doors and out of sight.

The brunette glanced down at his hands, questioning whether what he did was the right thing to do. Knowing the king's intentions too well, thinking of what might happen to Lee set him off, and he acted knowing the endless possibilities and consequences it could hold. He quietly hid his face in his hands and shook his head, probably having the feeling he just ended whatever strand left of friendship he had with the girl.

"My my, I never expected you to do that."

He shot up with a glare as Virgil made his way down the stairs with hands in his pockets. The ravenette stopped at the other's side and glanced at the doors. "Not only did her hate for you grow, but she's now scared of you. What were you thinking? Lillee will never want to see you again after all the trauma you put her through. Why do you think she hasn't been here for eleven years?"

The brunette's hand shot towards him and placed a grip around Virgil's neck with the glare in his eyes not wavering. The ravenette gave a blank look and gazed at the hand holding him. "You know what I can do to you. Don't forget that," He grabbed the brunette's wrist and yanked the hand away from his neck and proceeded to head back upstairs. "Get in my way again and I won't show mercy." He left the brunette in the main hall as the other remained silent as a response before returning to his room for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lee jerked up in bed frantically with wide eyes as she panted hard, placing a hand on her chest to help herself calm down. She glanced around to see her bedroom empty, and lowered her gaze to see her hands shaking. The brunette looked around once again to make sure she was the only person in the room before releasing a sigh. She pulled her knees against her chest and glanced over at her clock to see that it was three in the morning. Lee shook her head and swung her legs over the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes as she stood up to head to the bathroom.

Lee glanced at herself in the mirror after splashing water on her face, placing a hand on the fading bite mark that was on her neck. Her eyes lowered as she thought back to that night that felt so long ago despite it being a week. The tears on the brunette's face left a pain in her heart, and closed her eyes with regret. _He only did it to protect me,_ She thought to herself as she splashed more water on her face to wake herself up, knowing full well she wasn't going back to sleep. _If he didn't try to turn me, his brother would have tried a second time and use me as bait. Because I ran, that only gives him more chances._ The brunette turned off the sink and exited the bathroom with a lowered head and headed towards the living room in hopes that something on TV would clear her mind.

The clock had struck 7:30 in the hall as Sarah slowly made her way down the steps with a yawn. She noticed a faint noise coming from the living room and realized it was the TV that echoed throughout the first floor. The silverette rubbed an eye and stepped into the room to see her brunette roommate spread out across the couch fast asleep. Sarah couldn't help but shake her head with a smile as she walked over and poked her cheek. Lee moaned sleepily and curled up into a tight ball, turning away from the older teen with a pout. "Five more minutes." She mumbled.

"It's your turn to make breakfast, you know."

Sarah placed a hand on her hip with a lifted eyebrow before poking the brunette once again. Lee muttered something inaudible as a response before sitting up with a stretch and a yawn. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear before swinging her legs off of the couch and standing up. "Usual Thursday special?" She asked while heading for the kitchen.

"Yes, but why do you call it that?"

"Why do you think?" Lee called out while searching the cabinets.

Sarah released a sigh before climbing on a stool that sat in the dining room and began to read the book she picked up in the living room. "How's your injury, by the way?"

"Doesn't hurt anymore if that's what you mean." The bite mark was unavoidable, and once she saw it, Sarah immediately wanted to know what had happened. Of course, Lee was hesitant, as she couldn't fully explain let alone think that Sarah would believe her if she told the truth anyway. So, she made up a convincing lie, saying a stray dog had attacked her until she escaped. While she was confident in her story, a small thought in the back of her head said the silverette might not have been convinced.

After flipping over the second slice of french toast, she turned away from the stove to glance at her phone and joined her roommate who sat at the island. Sarah glanced away from her book temporarily to look over at the brunette with a lifted eyebrow. "Are you sure a dog attacked you?" She asked with a questioning look.

Lee froze for a moment and subconsciously placed a hand over the bite mark, lowering her head with a nervous gaze. "I-It was pretty dark out, so I'm not exactly sure, but whatever it was sounded like a dog growling, so I just assumed."

"I see," Sarah began to read her book once again before continuing. "Maybe it was one of the wolves in the forest. You know they sometimes wander the streets."

"That could be it too." Relief filled the brunette's chest as she smiled as a response, happy to see that her roommate hadn't caught on to what the situation actually was. Without another word, she stepped back over towards the stove and slid the french toast on a nearby plate, barely covering it with powdered sugar and syrup and handing the plate over to the silverette with a knife and fork. Sarah nodded as a sign of thanks before Lee began to fix her own plate. The smile on the brunette's face faded once she thought whether or not running from the castle was a good idea. She thought back to the darker-haired brunette, and guilt surged through her chest when she remembered the expression he wore, and the memory made her feel worse. She sighed while shaking her head and ran a hand through her hair with closed eyes. Moments later, she joined the silverette with her french toast completely coated in powdered sugar and syrup.

Sarah couldn't help but notice her sister's behavior, and she placed her book next to her half-eaten breakfast. "Something's eating at you, but I don't know what."

"It's nothing," Lee replied before placing a forkful of toast in her mouth and immediately swallowing it. "I'm still a bit shaken up from the attack last month."

"You seemed fine after a week."

"Looks can be deceiving."

"That just concerns me more," After a silent response from the brunette who had turned away, Sarah gave her a stern look and reached out to gently grab her hand. "You know you can tell me anything. It's been this way ever since we were kids."

Lee's gaze lowered to the floor, and she gave out a quiet sigh before turning back to her roommate. "Thanks," She muttered in response. "But, I'm not sure if I should tell you."

"Well, tell me when you are," Sarah stood from the table with a gentle smile. "You know you can trust me. We're sisters. Well, not biologically, but still."

Lee chuckled at her correction before finishing the last of her toast and throwing the plate in the trash. She stepped into the kitchen for a quick glass of milk before returning to the silverette. "I promise I'll tell you, but not now."

"Whatever makes you comfortable." Sarah winked at her before throwing away her plate and returning to the living room with Lee following shortly after. The rest of the morning was spent with the girls watching whatever was on the TV until they decided that there was nothing good to watch. The two had then decided to go out into town to have the day move faster; Lee hoped it would get her mind off of the darker-haired brunette from the previous week. She and the silverette had gone to the mall to do some random shopping, had eaten at a small cafe, and had began to explore the downtown area. The trip was enough to have Lee not think of her troubles, although every once in a while, they would come back to her and remind her that they exist. Luckily, she had Sarah cheering her up whenever she could.

The clock in the town square had struck 4:00 in the afternoon, and it had the two realize how much time had passed throughout the day. Sarah had stood from her spot in the mall courtyard and grabbed whatever shopping bags she had as she and Lee made their way towards the parking lot. It didn't take long for them to make their way out of the area and be on their way home. The silverette spotted her sister staring blankly at the window as she drove, but decided not to question her for it because she knew what was on her mind. Instead, she focused more on how to avoid the sun glaring in her eyes so she doesn't get into a pointless wreck. Lee had gazed at the passing cars aimlessly while leaning against the car door. A million thoughts were going through her head and it was hard for her to focus on just one. She furrowed her brows in frustration and closed her eyes to help herself think, drowning out the car radio as well as her other surroundings.

The thought most prevalent in her mind involved the darker-haired brunette from the week before and guilt grew in her chest once again to haunt her. She thought of what could possibly happen after the decision she made: the man known as Virgil could try a second time in pursuing her and succeeding, causing her to be under his control no matter her consent, his brother could be greeted with severe consequences with interfering the first time, or they could both suffer for the incident. She released a quiet sigh of defeat as her shoulders slumped sadly.

_"If I somehow become king, I want to take you as my queen."_

Lee's eyes snapped open at the memory and they lowered as a response as she tilted her head. She thought back to when they were children, not caring about what others thought of them hanging out together and her being the only friend he had. She was the only comfort he had due to his position having others shun away from him and she was the only one he trusted. The friendship they shared was cherished between the two of them, and they would do whatever it took to make sure they could be together. Lee smiled and chuckled to herself and glanced outside the window once again after shaking her head. She sighed as more memories began to fill her mind throughout the rest of the way home.

The two roommates entered the front door and gently placed their shopping bags in their respective bedrooms, although Sarah was the only one who returned to the first floor of the house. Lee stayed in her room as she searched in her closet for an item from her childhood with a determined gaze. _I know it's in here somewhere,_ She thought frantically as she stood on her toes. _There's no way I would have thrown it out._ She searched until she spotted a small, hidden compartment behind a couple of boxes, pushing them aside and pulling out a much smaller box. The brunette sat on the bed with the box in her lap, slowly opening it to reveal a pile of photos and drawings from when she was younger. Lee rummaged through the box, pausing to glance at various pictures and smiling at the memories that fluttered in her mind; an occasional giggle or two snuck past her lips as a response.

Finally, she found what she was looking for: a small, green box wrapped in a thin black ribbon that had somehow found its way under the pile of memories. Lee untied the ribbon and opened the box to reveal a silver ring with a diamond embedded in the middle. She smiled at the ring and held it close as she thought back to when it was first given to her: the darker-haired brunette had taken it from his mother's jewelry box along with a matching ring for himself. Once his mother had found out, she wasn't angry with him and instead found it nice that she gave the ring to Lee as a present.

_"It's to make sure neither of us forget. So don't lose it, okay?"_

Lee slipped the ring on her finger before standing up, placing the photos back in the box and setting said box back in its spot in the closet before heading downstairs, grabbing her car keys in the process as she went straight for the front door. Sarah noticed her pass and stood up from her spot on the couch. "Lee, where are you going?" She asked as she poked her head into the hall.

Lee stopped at acknowledgement, but didn't turn her head to face her sister. "I don't know when I'll be back, but know I'll be safe."

"What do you mean?" Fear grew in Sarah's chest as she thought of what the other could mean and was concerned with where she was going. She glanced down and noticed the ring on her finger and lifted a worried eyebrow before Lee responded. "Remember earlier when you said something was bothering me? Well, it involved my childhood best friend, someone I haven't seen in over a decade, and seeing him again last week made me realize how much I missed him and think about what I could have done to make sure we stayed together; I'm all he has in this world. So, I'm doing what I should have done years ago."

"Lee-"

"Do you trust me?" The brunette turned to face the girl and stepped closer to grab one of her hands. "Sarah, do you trust me?" The silverette didn't know what to think or say. Judging from the brunette, the supposed childhood best friend was before her time at the orphanage, so Sarah had no idea who it was. A part of her believed that Lee had made up the story to get out of the house. However, she didn't want to doubt her sister as she never lied and had no reason to, at least from her perspective. From her expression, Sarah could see that this was a serious issue for her and knew that it was going to bother her unless she resolved it.

She grabbed both of the brunette's hands and held them close, looking back at her sister with a smile. "I trust you, Lee. I always have. If you think this is what you need to do, then I'll support you."

Lee's eyes widened before she pulled the silverette in a tight hug and held her close. "Thank you," She muttered as the silverette returned the hug before they both pulled away. "I'll be back. I promise."

"I'll be waiting." Lee gave her a smile and a wave before disappearing through the front door.

* * *

Lee held in a breath as she drove towards the hidden castle, passing through the black gates and driving towards the clearing ahead. She couldn't shake off the unpleasant feeling in her gut, but she knew she was doing the right thing. Once she parked, she didn't hesitate to make her way up the stairs to the door, releasing the breath she held as she opened the door cautiously. Lee peered inside to see the main hall deserted, which she didn't find surprising considering who was in charge. The brunette paused for a moment and looked back at the ring on her finger.

_"You know where to find me, don't you?"_

Lee smiled before making her way up the flight of stairs and towards the west wing of the castle, trying to remember her way through the halls and staircases. Various pieces of memory flashed through her mind as she thought of the two of them as children sneaking through the castle, and it helped her pinpoint to where her hopefully supposed best friend was. Walking up various staircases and through halls, she finally found the door she was looking for and clenched her fists tightly. After releasing a sigh, she gently knocked on the door, pausing for a few moments before slowly opening it to reveal a dark bedroom lit from the moonlight that beamed through the giant windows. She spotted the darker-haired brunette across the room with his back turned away from her as he glanced out of the window. Lee closed the door behind her silently and waited for him to acknowledge her presence.

"Why did you come back?" He finally spoke after a few moments of silence, however his back was still facing her.

Lee had her head lowered for a moment before gazing at him once again and speaking. "I came to see my best friend. Is that wrong?"

"We can't call each other that anymore," He finally turned to her, and Lee could see the sadness that settled in his eyes. "I don't think we can have that title after not seeing each other in over a decade."

"Then let me add 'childhood' to that term. We're childhood best friends," The older of the two opened his mouth to speak again before closing it and turning away. Lee smiled and began to step towards him, eventually close enough to take one of his hands in her own. "I know what you were trying to do by the way, and I just want to say I'm sorry for running off."

"No, I should be sorry for trying to turn you in the first place," The brunette retorted while shaking his head. "I don't know what I was thinking when I did it; I was just wanting to make sure that my brother didn't get to you before I did. I don't even know why you would come back. I thought you hated me and what are you doing?"

A faint blush spread across his face when Lee had decided to unbutton her shirt, revealing green lace underneath, and pulling her shirt to show more skin, looking back at the other with an unsurprised look. "It might be messy, but that's what happens when you turn someone."

"Lillee-"

"I should have let you turn me when you had the chance," She interrupted him with a soft gaze. "I didn't know if you were okay; hell I didn't even know if you were alive. I shouldn't have left you alone and I'm sorry that I did. This is my way of making up for it," Lee gently wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. "I don't hate you, Maximus. I've missed you, and I'm sorry."

Maximus looked down on his childhood friend and softened his gaze before slowly returning the hug and pulling her close. He rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed. "My brother has always found ways of taking things from me, and no matter what I do, I can never seem to get them back; I won't let him take you too."

"What are you waiting for, then?" Lee asked in a whisper as she nuzzled him gently with a smile. Maximus returned her nuzzle and slightly pulled away to gaze fondly at the skin she exposed, noticing that the bite he had given her had not completely healed just yet. The thought of Virgil having the brunette under his control caused him to feel slight nausea and it only made him tighten his grip around her waist. He felt a hand rub his back to tell him that everything was fine and he had nothing to worry about. Truth be told, Maximus could care less about his brother, having despised him since childhood, and didn't want to think of the possible consequences; he was more focused on making sure he didn't lose the only friend he had.

With this thought in mind, Maximus bent down, fangs bared and eyes crimson, and swiftly made another puncture wound into Lee's throat. He felt her grab the back of his shirt and made sure that blood didn't make its way to the floor. In the back of his mind, Maximus knew that it was only a matter of time before other residents in the castle noticed the scent of blood, so he wanted to make this transformation as quick as possible. He was half-tempted to pause to catch his breath, although breathing through his nose helped his situation. Now that he wasn't thinking about his brother, he could now indulge in feeding like he wanted. Maximus had pressed Lee against him as the taste of her blood filled his senses; if he didn't believe milk chocolate with a hint of cherry was a delectable combination, he did now. He released a low moan because of just how delicious her blood was, and he regretted not realizing it before.

Maximus felt the brunette's grip weaken, and it wasn't long before her hand dropped from its place. It wasn't long before he released her and her lifeless body collapsed onto the floor. He licked the remains from his lips before bringing his left wrist to his lips. He bit down and began to take whatever blood he could in his mouth without swallowing. He then gently took Lee's body into his arms and didn't waste any time in pressing his lips against hers to make sure his blood made its way to her. The brunette pulled away and waited for a moment, hoping that everything went the way he wanted.

Slowly, Lee's eyes opened slightly to reveal not a lime green, but a crimson hue resting in her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Okay, I'll see you soon." After a confirmation, Sarah ended the call and placed her phone on the coffee table in front of her. She leaned back to glance at the TV in front of her, hearing reporters discuss about the president's upcoming trip to France, but she could care less about what he was up to. Sarah took the cup of coffee she had in her hands and gently took a sip, wincing as it slightly burned her tongue. Pulling away, she set the mug down and lifted her head to stare at the ceiling with half-lid eyes. It had been three days since her sister had gone to take care of whatever business she needed to take care of, and it seemed as though she would be staying with that friend another day or two. A thought in the back of her mind was telling her that Lee was up to something dangerous, but she wanted to deny it. She wanted to trust the brunette, but with her behavior, she wasn't exactly sure.

Sarah had wondered what Lee had been doing when she was gone, and she made sure her imagination didn't run wild with the possibilities. The silverette first thought the friend her sister had mentioned was playing her and wanted to use her for his own personal gain, but soon decided against the idea because Lee was smarter than she looked. Another thought- probably more believable than the first- was Lee and her friend were part of an organization and the rule was no one was supposed to know. However, that idea was also pushed to the side because of the severity of the situation the brunette was in. Whenever she called her roommate to ask if everything was alright, Lee would reassure her that she would be home soon and that there was something she still hasn't taken care of quite yet. Sarah was half-tempted to call the police and ask them to search for her, but the problems with that was she didn't have much to go on, she didn't have much proof to convince them her sister was in any real danger, and she didn't have the slightest clue as to where to look. For now, the silverette believed that the most plausible option for her was to wait and hope for the best. Releasing a sigh, the teen stood from her spot on the couch, grabbing her car keys and phone, before heading towards the front door, deciding some fresh air would help clear her thoughts.

* * *

Maximus winced as Lee placed an ice pack on his cheek with a soft gaze as they sat quietly in the courtyard after the second beating he had received from his brother. Lee could see some of the cuts that were bleeding begin to heal, so she pulled away for the time being. However, Maximus grabbed her hand immediately to put it back in its place as a smile made itself known. The girl was slightly confused at the look on his face, knowing that no normal person would be smiling after being pummeled in the face. She lifted an eyebrow with a titled head. "Will you be okay?" She asked pulling the ice pack away once she saw the swelling had gone down. "It's been a few days and he's still not over it."

A few nights ago, Lee had barely begun her new life when Virgil had burst through the door with an angry look on his face. Other residents in the castle who had lingered around the room due to the smell of blood had begun to leave the area in order to avoid the king's wrath, and Lee wished she had done the same. She didn't remember much, due to her mind being fuzzy and her vision having a slight blur, but she knew the ravenette king was beating Maximus into submission. What confused her was the smug look on Maximus's face with every punch and kick he received. Virgil had then stormed out of the room with shouts of profanity, threatening others to stay out of his way. Lee soon blacked out after that, but not before hearing Maximus mutter "She wasn't prey to begin with."

Maximus proceeded to stand as to make his way back inside with Lee following suit after him. "As of now, I could care less about what my brother thinks," He began with hands behind his back and a lowered head. "Last night was the first time I felt like I could do anything. I think you showing up last night helped me realize that."

Lee blinks in surprise at the response before smiling. "Well, I'm glad to give you confidence. I'm just relieved to see that you're alright."

"I'm alright now that you're here." Lee gave him a playful punch to the shoulder with a chuckle, not wanting to admit that he was sort of right; Maximus had been in a better mood since her turning, and hardly anything caused him to frown. Usually, he would frown at the sight of his brother, but instead he would have a smirk on his face which may or may not prompt a punch to the face by the ravenette. Lee wasn't sure whether this new attitude of her friend was a good change considering what would happen if he gave a snarky remark to the king, but she didn't think too much on it if Maximus was happy.

"You really gotta stop considering me your only source of happiness," Lee turned to head back inside the corridor. "I'll probably introduce you to my sister someday once I tell her about this vampire business. Well, she's not really my sister. I was adopted into the family a year after I was in the orphanage."

"That would explain why I wasn't able to see you," Maximus responded as he followed her through the halls. "For a moment, I thought you were being held captive by the Rogues who killed your parents."

"Knowing Rogues, they would have killed me too," The brunette lowered her head with a sad look and stopped her pace. "That's the thing about vampires; Whatever they do to survive, they always think it's the only way or they simply don't care." Maximus placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed, knowing the pain of losing a loved one. He wanted to think of a way to cheer her up, but with how much time has passed, he didn't know what could work.

_"Let's go to our secret place! They won't find us there!"_

Maximus's head jerked up at the memory, and he hoped it was what he needed. Slowly, his hand slid down her arm to intertwine with hers and squeezing it tightly. He then pulled her through the corridor, causing her to almost trip over her feet. "Maximus, where are we going?"

The brunette turned to face her with a calm smile as he quickly pulled her along before responding with "To our secret place."

* * *

Sarah closely peered at the books that rested on the shelves while making sure the few she held in her arms didn't fall. The library was usually empty on Wednesdays, and that was the way she liked it; less people meant she could focus more on her options to read. She was glad her section was deserted due to everyone being busy with work or recreational time with their friends. Sarah quietly scanned the shelves, occasionally picking up a book to glance at the cover and putting it back in its place.

After a few minutes, the silverette set down her small stack of books to rest her arms and glanced at the nearby clock to see that it read _11:43_. She sighed and glanced over at what she had grabbed, taking the time to read the summary of each and deciding what might be a good read and what might be a waste of her time: one book sounded as though there was too much going on and once, and Sarah believed the experience would give her a migraine, another gave an unbelievable story involving elves and fairies, and a third sounded like a Dungeon and Dragons session gone wrong. Sarah lifted an eyebrow before placing four books in the discard pile and taking them back to their respective shelves before returning to the books she had yet to judge.

In the end, only three books had seemed the most interesting to her and she quickly put the others back where they belonged. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she stepped her way over towards the front desk while squeezing through the aisles. Sarah hoped to leave the area before the lunch crowds could settle in so she could get home without any problems.

She sighed as she placed the books on the counter with a lowered head and sliding her library card towards the attendant behind the desk. "Rough day?" He asked while scanning the card and sliding it back to her.

Sarah nodded while placing the library card back into her bag and glancing over towards a nearby window. "I'm stuck at home alone while my sister is off doing business somewhere. I want to relax, but I'm worried about her."

"That's normal, but you wouldn't have let her go if you didn't trust her." Sarah lifted an eyebrow in confusion; the attendant's voice sounded familiar to her, but she wasn't sure where she had heard it from. A feeling of reassurance grew in her chest and she felt relaxed around him because of the familiarity. The silverette glanced at the attendant and her eyes widened to see that it was the man who had saved her from the crowd during the terrorist attack. According to the expression he wore, he was apparently not looking at her while he scanned the books and looked as equally surprised as she was. His shocked expression transformed into a calm one as a smile appeared on his face.

"How have you been, stranger?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sarah blinked in surprise as the ravenette in front of her rested his chin in his hand with a tilted head and lowered eyes. The two kept their gazes on each other as the silverette's mind was filled with confusion. She wasn't expecting to see her rescuer here and she definitely wasn't expecting to see him again after that night. For a moment, Sarah wondered where he had been, although she knew it wasn't her place to ask; she didn't know him, so it didn't seem necessary. However, the thought had trailed her mind.

The man slid the small stack of books back to her and leaned back with crossed arms and a lifted eyebrow. "Sarah, was it? Never expected to see you here."

"Neither did I," Sarah placed the books in her bag and placed a hand on her hip and gave him a calm look. "It is good to see you again, though. Your name is Luke, right?" After a nod, she continued with a smile. "I can't thank you enough for that night."

"Hey, it was no big deal," Luke waved his hand while shaking his head. "I just felt I needed to do what was right."

"And for that, I owe you." Luke released a sigh and glanced over at the nearby clock, looking to see that it was _11:52_ and turning back to the silverette in front of him. He smiled and leaned in to lower his voice in a whisper. "My shift ends at noon. Care to stick around?" He asked with a wink. Sarah was a bit taken back because it sounded like a date to her ears. She lifted an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip. "This by any chance wouldn't be a poor excuse of asking me out, would it?"

"Not at all. It's a chance for you to make it up to me," Luke crossed his arms with a smirk and a tilted head. "Unless you want to forever owe me." Sarah's expression transformed into a slight pout at the response, and the pout caused the ravenette's smirk to widen. They both knew there was no other chance, and Sarah didn't know when she would see him again, considering she rarely goes to the library. She sighed with a lowered head, knowing she might as well take the opportunity to get to know him.

Sarah glanced over to a table that rested near a large window and pointed to it. "I'll be over there when you're finished."

The ravenette smiled in victory and pulled away from the desk to step towards a cart filled with books. "Can't wait." He winked again as a response. Sarah sighed and headed to the table and sat quietly, deciding to start on one of the books she recently checked out. In an instant, she was sucked in by the book's contents and was brought from reality. The silverette forgot about what was going on around her and could care less either way.

Sarah was so engraved in the book, she didn't realize that noon had already gone by and her ravenette acquaintance had seated himself across from her, resting an elbow on the table and smiling at her sweetly. Luke lifted an eyebrow and wondered how long it would take for her to notice him, and judging from her expression, it seemed the silverette wouldn't move unless he said something. However, instead of speaking up immediately, he wanted to take in what he saw currently in front of him: what stood out to him the most was the teen's white hair, and he was half-tempted to ask if it was dyed, but it looked eerily natural so he wasn't quite sure. From the look she held, Luke wasn't sure if she was waiting for the book to reach a point where she would be interested or she wasn't interested at all. He assumed that she wasn't a very social individual if her clothes weren't anything to go by; her clothes were casual yet dressy, but she also wasn't trying too hard to impress anyone based on the high tops she wore with her dress. Luke mentally complimented the girl's taste as she dresses better than most girls he occasionally saw around town.

He peeked at the cover of the book Sarah was reading: _The Blood That Ties Us_. The ravenette lifted an eyebrow as he glanced at the silverette again. Based on her demeanor, he wasn't expecting her to be into fantasy genres; he expected her to be more into nonfiction material, so seeing her read about the supernatural surprised him greatly. "I never thought you would be into that."

His voice caused the silverette to jump in her seat, almost dropping the book and losing her place. Her head shot up to face him with wide eyes. "How long have you been there!?" She shouted in a whisper.

"Oh, for a good couple minutes. It's almost a quarter after noon, and I wanted to see how long it would have taken you to notice me." Sarah glared as a response before taking in a breath, knowing that she shouldn't get angry over something like this. She saved her place and set the book back into her bag before standing up. "You don't really see it the moment you meet me, but ever since I was younger, I've always been into the supernatural. For a moment, I believed it was true."

"Interesting," Luke lifted an eyebrow with a hand on his hip as the two exited the library and made their way down the street. "What did you think was true?" Sarah brought a finger to her chin to think as she lowered her head. "Well, for a couple years, I believed magic existed, but that was more fantasy than supernatural. Then during middle school, I had the thought that humans weren't the only ones on the planet."

"Well yeah. There are animals on the planet too." The silverette glared at him and gave him a light punch to the shoulder. "That's not what I mean, jerk," She replied with a growl. "I meant non-human beings: werewolves, mermaids, vampires. You know, the usual stuff." Luke lifted an eyebrow as a response and crossed his arms before the two spotted a small cafe and Sarah gestured towards it with a smile. "Shall we? My treat."

"Whatever you say," The ravenette followed her inside and they quietly made their way towards an empty table that rested near a sunlit window. "So, what made you think they were real?" He asked while handing the menu back to their waiter and resting an elbow on the table.

Sarah crossed her arms and tilted her head. "I'm not sure," She responded with an unsure tone. "I've always had the feeling that something was off with this town. No, I don't think it's that; the town itself is pretty normal. But, some people just seem off. Like, they seem rather secretly. I'm not saying they're doing something illegal, but they give off the vibe that they're not who they seem to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not sure if it's my imagination, but sometimes, I see that people have sharp teeth whenever they talked, and I can't tell if they just have sharp teeth or they're fangs or something, and there are times I see someone's eyes change color, like it goes from brown to red. I'm not sure if it's how light reflects off a person's eyes or it's some weird genetic mutation-" She cut herself off with a lowered head before twirling one of her fingers in a lock of hair. "But I know enough biology to know that neither of those options are true."

Luke noticed the unsettling look in her eyes and he couldn't help but frown. He released a sigh and decided to settle his confusion so he would find the appropriate words. "So, that's what's with your hair, right? It's a genetic mutation?" Sarah only nodded but refused to look at him. The ravenette leaned back as the waiter brought two small cakes before leaving them alone, wondering if he had upset her further; the fact that she wasn't speaking to him proved his point, so he tried to cheer her up. "Hey, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It's not your fault that you have white hair. In fact, I think it looks nice; it makes you seem unique, and you shouldn't feel ashamed of that," Sarah slightly lifted her head to face him and he gave her a genuine smile. "I mean it; you shouldn't let people decide who you are. I would know."

"Thanks," The teen gave him a smile before turning towards the window. "Aside from my family, you're the first to ever say that to me. I wish my father could think the same."

"Oh yeah, you said you weren't blood related to the Snow family, right? If that's the case, then where's your real father?"

"He left," Sarah sipped the cup of tea that was placed in front of her with a lowered gaze. "He saw my white hair and decided he wanted nothing to do with me. So, he left. It really hurt my mom, but she was more angry than sad because that was the reason he left. She never blamed me for it, though, which I'm grateful for. As of now, I'm the oldest of four: my younger sister was adopted when I was eight, and my two younger brothers came along after my mother married into the family."

"Well, I guess that's one thing we have in common," Luke replied with a smile before pointing to himself.

Sarah lifted an eyebrow. "You're the oldest sibling in your family?"

"Yeah, but my sister is the only one actually blood related to our guardian, and she's at least five years younger than me," The ravenette took a sip of coffee before continuing. "I came along soon after his wife died, then a year later, I got two younger brothers; one is a couple months younger than me and the other is six years younger than me. My sister is turning 16 this year and my brothers are turning 21 and 15 respectively."

"Wait, how old are you?" Sarah couldn't help but ask as she didn't want to assume how old the librarian was and be proven wrong later.

Luke took a bite out of his cake before responding. "I'm turning 21 in August. My father is taking me out to a bar that night to celebrate. How old did you think I was?"

"You seemed so mature, so I thought you were in your 20s, but you don't look the part."

"People usually comment on how young I look, so I'll take that as a compliment," Luke responded with crossed arms and a smirk. "What about you? You look like you just got out of high school."

"I may not look like it, but I'm turning 20 in December. My sister and I recently graduated community college in May. We were gonna celebrate by going to a concert, but you saw how that turned out."

"Look on the bright side. You were able to meet me at least." Sarah couldn't help but agree; as traumatic as the experience was, she was at least grateful for making a new friend. However, she was still unsure as to why he decided to help her instead of running towards the exit as fast as possible. She finished off the last of her cake before speaking to him again. "Now that I'm thinking about it, why did you save me? You could have easily ran."

"To be honest, I was trying to get back to my sister because we got separated," Luke pushed away his plate and took a final sip of coffee. "As I was searching, I saw you on the ground; your hair stood out compared to the rest of you so it was hard to miss. I saw that you couldn't get up cause people were too busy stepping on you, so I decided that saving a stranger from being seriously injured was more important than finding my sister as stupid as that might sound to you."

Sarah shook her head with a smile as she pulled out her wallet to pay the bill. "No, I'm glad you did. Why do you think I'm doing this?"

"You know I was kidding, right? You really don't have to."

"Yes I do. If I didn't, I would feel guilty." Luke just sighed and nodded in acceptance, allowing her to do what she felt she needed to do. It wasn't long before the two exited the cafe and began to step down the sidewalk, passing by the multiple shops and pedestrians that surrounded the area. The clock in the town square struck _1:00_ in the distance, signaling the end of lunch as people made their way back to their workplaces. Luke and Sarah quietly enjoyed the scenery around them, taking in the current peace neither of them had felt for a couple weeks. They were glad that they had a chance to think about past events and figure out a way to move from them.

The silence was interrupted by a low vibrating noise, and Luke automatically knew that it was his phone ringing from his front pocket. Sarah stopped and lifted an eyebrow at him as he held the phone against his ear before speaking. "Hey, what's up? No, no I haven't forgotten. I'm on my way," He slid his phone back in his pocket and turned to the silverette with an apologetic smile. "I guess we're gonna have to cut this short. I promised my brother I'd take him to the mall today."

"Well, don't keep him waiting," Sarah replied with a smile as she held out her hand. "I guess I'll see you soon."

"You know where to find me." Luke winked at her as he shook her hand before pulling away to head down a nearby street filled with pedestrians. He gave her a final wave before disappearing in the crowd. Sarah waved as a response, however, she was confused and didn't know if the ravenette could get through a crowd that quickly or the people surrounded him seconds before they separated. The teen decided to not dwell on the matter and believed it was time for her to head home as well. She took one last look at her surroundings before turning left on a street and making her way back to her neighborhood.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_"All of the bigwigs are wrong about you," Lee said as she sat on the swing and looked over at Maximus with a calm gaze. "It's not your fault your mom isn't royalty."_

_She patted him on the back, although he looked unconvinced by her words. "It's not just that," He replied. "They have low expectations of me and they think I'm not as good as my brother."_

_"That doesn't mean anything."_

_"Yes it does," He snapped before he curled up into a ball. "Everyone talks down on me and treats me like an outcast. My own father even says I'm not getting the throne if something happens to my brother. It's like I'm an alien or something: Everyone treats me like trash and want nothing to do with me." Maximus lowered his head into his lap to hide the tears forming in his eyes._

_Lee sat still for a moment before sliding off of the swing and wrapping her arms around him. "I don't think you're trash. I think you'd be a great ruler if you had the throne. It's not your fault that your father hates you. He just doesn't see what you could do," She pulled away to smile at him and continued. "And that brother of yours is a jerk. I see how he treats you and it's not right." Lee pulled him to his feet and began to lead him towards the manor._

_"If I'm able to have the throne," Maximus spoke up, having Lee turn around to face him. "I don't think anyone else could rule beside me except for you," Lee blushed in response as she stopped in her tracks. He blushed in return and lowered his head. "I-I mean, you're the only one who supports me and doesn't treat me like an outcast. If I had to choose to rule with someone, I'd pick you."_

_"O-Oh," Lee's blush faded as she lowered her head. "I-I see."_

_"It's a promise then," The boy smiled at her and held one of her hands. "When I get the throne, you rule together with me."_

_"Maximus." The two children glanced over at the door to see the the king and Lee's mother. "It is time for Ms. Lillee to be on her way home."_

_"Come on, sweetie." Lee's mother gently took her by the hand and pulled her away as Lee looked back at the other. "I'll see you later, Maximus."_

_"Sure." _

_Maximus waved as she and her mother disappeared through the halls, ignoring his father's hard gaze. "I don't understand why she insists on being with a disgrace." Maximus's face fell into a frown as he lowered his gaze towards the ground, guilt beginning to fill his mind once again. His father left the grounds to leave him and continued his work._

* * *

"That's when you took the rings, right?" Lee asked with a smile as she held up her ringed hand. "When you wanted a physical form of our promise."

"I still plan to keep it," Maximus muttered with crossed arms. "Even after what happened, I still wanted you to rule as queen."

"That's sweet of you." The brunette girl rested an elbow on the table and lifted her head to gaze at the sky. The two were in the courtyard enjoying a meal as the sun began to set in the distance. "I remember when you got in trouble for taking them. Your dad wasn't too happy. How did your mom react anyway?"

Maximus lifted his head to gaze at her before he responded. "She didn't take it too badly. She knew my intentions and let it go. My father, on the other hand, was furious and threatened to kill me. Although, my mother calmed him down somehow."

"Well that's good at least," Lee replied as she took a sip of her tea before standing. "Well, I better get going. Don't want to worry my roommate."

"I'll walk you." Lee had returned home after six days at the castle, and Sarah immediately began bombarding her with question after question regarding her absence. The brunette, of course, was reluctant to exactly say the truth, so she partially lied by saying she wanted to catch up with her childhood friend due to the time they've spent away from each other. Sarah -as unconvinced as she was- decided to believer her sister for the time being, thinking Lee would tell her when she felt more comfortable.

The two began to head towards the entrance hall of the mansion with various eyes watching them from a distance. Lee avoided their gazes and continued to step towards the door. She turned back to the other brunette with a gentle smile. "I'll see you later then."

"You too." Lee winked at him before stepping out of the mansion and heading back towards the car parked in front of the stairs leading to the front door.

Maximus breathed out a sigh before turning towards the stairs and heading down the East Wing. He heard a chuckle behind him, and turned around to meet eyes with his brother leaning against the wall with crossed arms. "It seems you two are trying to make up for lost time," He spoke with a smirk. "Or is there another reason?" Maximus turned away without a word and Virgil chuckled. "I was right. You do have feelings for her."

"Should it matter to you?"

"It kind of should," The king wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "I have to make sure my younger brother isn't choosing the wrong woman."

"Now I'm your younger brother?" Maximus pulled away with a slight glare as he continued to head back to his room. "When have you ever thought of me as a sibling?" He paused once he saw his brother's smirk and realized Virgil was only doing it to mess with him. "Besides, it shouldn't matter to you. It's none of your business anyhow."

"Keep telling yourself that."

The young brunette ignored him and closed his bedroom door behind him before falling back onto his bed to stare at the ceiling. He ignored what his brother had said and closed his eyes in irritation. "There's no way," He muttered. "There's no way I can tell him how I feel. Who knows what he would do to her," He placed an arm above his face and his eyebrows furrowed with a slight glare. "Whatever he does, I'll be ready," He glanced towards the window and lifted himself from the bed to watch the brunette's car disappear through the front gates. Maximus lowered his gaze and placed a hand on the window. "I won't let him hurt you, Lillee."

* * *

Lee unlocked the front door and allowed herself inside to notice the house was silent save for the TV echoing throughout the floor. She stepped into the living room to see her sister sprawled against the couch with a book in her lap. The brunette peeked at the cover of the book with a lifted eyebrow as she placed her bag in a nearby chair. "Still reading that book?" She asked with her hands behind her back.

Sarah jumped at her voice, and the book fell to the floor. The silverette's face dropped as she looked back at her roommate. "Well, I was." She stated as she picked it up from the floor and placed it on the coffee table.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Lee pulled back with a sheepish smile before she took a spot on the loveseat and tilted her head slightly. "You seem different."

"How so?"

"Well, you seem more cheerful than usual," Lee placed her hands behind her head and leaned back. "So, something good must have happened while I was gone." Sarah gave her a look before sighing and lowering her gaze to the floor. "While you were doing business, I met someone."

"Oh?" The brunette switched her position to where she was leaning against the armrest of the loveseat and held a flirtatious look. "Do you have yourself a boyfriend?"

"I didn't mean it that way," Sarah gave her a deadpan look with a sigh. "I met with the guy that saved me at the concert hall. The ravenette, remember?"

"Him?" Lee lifted an eyebrow in confusion with crossed arms. She faintly remembered the man, but she never paid him much thought after the incident. The brunette never imagined her sister would meet him again. She sat upright with crossed legs and rested her chin in one of her hands. "That's a bit surprising. So, that's what you've been up to while I was gone?"

"If you want to say it like that, yes." Sarah smoothed out her skirt before standing up to head upstairs. Lee's gaze followed her until the silverette vanished from sight. It wasn't long before she heard running water, and she assumed the other was taking a shower. She leaned back in her seat and felt her phone vibrating from her back pocket.

Lee smiled when she saw it was from Maximus and she leaned across the loveseat backwards to answer it. "You can't seem to get enough of me, huh?" She joked with a giggle.

_"Is that a bad thing?"_

"No, no," Lee waved one of her hands as a response and shook her head. "I like it. Reminds me of when we used to hang out this often." She heard silence on the other line and lifted an eyebrow. The brunette sighed with closed eyes. "Listen, if I was mad at you, I wouldn't be here, would I?"

_"You didn't come back of your own volition though."_ Maximus had a point, but it caused Lee to feel guilty. She had multiple chances of going back to see him, but she was frightened when she thought of what became of him. When Virgil had contacted her at the end of May, the brunette had a thought in the back of her mind to ask him how Maximus was, but she was glad she kept her mouth shut.

Lee glanced at the ceiling with half-lid eyes before responding. "Before, all I wanted to do was leave my past behind and start over, but I couldn't do that when all I could think about was whether or not you were alive. I came back because he threatened to hurt you, and I thought that maybe I could make up for everything that's happened."

_"Then why act like nothing happened between us when you first arrived? Why did you ask for my brother instead of want to be with me?"_

"You know what he would do to us."

_"I don't care what he would do. I'm not scared of him anymore,"_ He paused for a moment before continuing. _"Lillee, all I want to do is protect you like I should have done a long time ago."_

"Maximus," Lee was taken back by his words, and they showed her how much he had changed over the past month. He had gone from fearing his brother to not caring what he says or does. She knew it was only a matter of time before the king fully snapped and got rid of him; he would believe he's doing everyone a favor. Even still, his words caused her chest to swell and she cradled the phone close. "That's sweet of you to say that."

_"I mean it too."_

"I know you do. That's what makes it sweet," The brunette swore her friend had a blush on his face on the other line, and it made her smile. Above her, she heard the water stop running, indicating that her sister had just gotten out of the shower. She glanced back at the phone with a stretch before speaking. "I'd like to talk to you more, but I need sleep so I'll actually be awake tomorrow."

_"Or you could stay awake with me."_

Lee giggled in return before glancing at the staircase once again. "We'll talk later." After a response, she ended the call and placed her phone in her back pocket before heading upstairs. The brunette took her time in heading to her bedroom when she lifted an eyebrow at something sweet in the air. The smell of fudge brownie and vanilla reached her nose, and the brunette felt herself being pulled towards it, unable to stop her feet from stepping across the hall.

Sarah was brushing out tangles in her hair while making sure the towel she had wrapped around herself didn't fall. She was humming a lullaby to herself and the song made her feel nostalgic. She tilted her head with a smile and closed her eyes, pulling a shirt above her head to sleep in for the night. However, what threw her off was the eerie aura that she noticed linger in the area. Slowly, she opened her eyes halfway and glanced in the mirror to see a dark figure with glowing red eyes in the hall. She spun around and leaned against the sink with a frightened gaze before somewhat calming down once she realized it was Lee. However, Sarah felt something was off; the brunette had a predatory look in her eyes, and she didn't seem to recognize the silverette at first glance.

Lee stalked towards the teen slowly, and Sarah tightened her grip on the brush she held in case she had to defend herself. However, Lee trapped her against the sink and clutched her wrist on the brush-held hand. Sarah was frozen in fear as the brunette grabbed her chin and leaned in close to her neck. It was only when she felt something sharp is when Sarah's free hand grabbed Lee's shoulder in an attempt to shove her back. "Lee, what are you doing!?" She called out while pushing her away. "Lee, stop!"

There was a pause after a sharp sting of pain. Lee's open mouth was pressed against her neck and the two were still. Sarah didn't know whether to move or keep her place -Not like she could go anywhere- and she glanced back at the brunette. Slowly, Lee pulled away with wide eyes, the color changing from red to green, and blinked in surprise. She glanced at the puncture marks on the silverette before it dawned on her what she did. She placed both hands over her mouth and took a step back. "Oh my God," She muttered with a lowered head. "What the hell did I do?"

"Lee?" Sarah was cautious about approaching her and wasn't sure as to what to do.

The brunette lifted her head, and Sarah could see tears swelling in her eyes. She continued to step back into the hall with a fear-filled gaze. "I-I gotta go."

In an instant, Lee sped down the stairs, and Sarah darted after her before watching the door slam shut. Not wanting to waste time, she threw on a pair of shorts and shoes before speeding out the door to see the brunette scrambling to get in her car. "Lee wait."

"I'd appreciate it if you left me alone!" Lee's voice cracked as she yelled while jerking away from the silverette, although she kept her hold on her sister's arm.

Sarah pulled her back and pinned her against the car with a stern gaze. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on!" The two were silent, and Lee averted her gaze with a scowl. She relaxed her shoulders, signaling to Sarah that she wasn't going to run away. The silverette let go of her arms and took a step back. "Alright, first question: how long were you a vampire?"

Sarah saw the nervous look on the brunette's face as she released the breath she was holding in. "I was born a vampire, but my parents turned me human when I was a kid. I recently got turned back a month ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?" The silverette squeezed her hands gently and gave her a soft look.

Lee held her hands as a response and closed her eyes. "I wasn't worried about you finding out. I knew you would accept it and think it would be cool for your sister to be a vampire."

"Then why didn't you?"

The brunette glanced around the dark neighborhood before looking back at the silverette. "If the vampire king knew I told you, God knows what he would do."

"The vampire king? What would the vampire king want to do with me?"

"It's not just you," The brunette leaned in closer in a hushed whisper. "He would use whoever he could to his advantage. I'm scared that he might try to turn you to his own benefit."

"So you don't want me turned?"

"Not by him. Never by him," Lee took her hand and led her back inside the house, locking the door behind them. "I'm glad that I wasn't."

"Who turned you?" Sarah followed the brunette into the kitchen and watched her pull out a small clear bag filled with what looked like blood.

Lee tore a hole in the bag before bringing it to her mouth and taking a swig before responding. "His half-brother. If anyone was to turn me, I'm glad it was him."

"That's who you've been with, I'm assuming." Lee didn't respond as she disappeared from sight, leaving the silverette alone with a look of confusion. A moment later, she returned with a wet rag and a bandage. She motioned for Sarah to tilt her head so she could treat the puncture wound on her neck. Sarah winced at how cold the rag was and the pressure against the wound.

A moment later, the bandage was placed over the injury, and the brunette pulled back with a nod. "There. I hope that doesn't attract attention. If anyone asks, just say it's a bug bite."

"Uh sure."

Lee stepped away to place the rag back where it belonged before returning to the silverette in the living room. The two sat in silence as they averted their gazes, not knowing what to say to the other. Sarah's gaze lowered to the ground and Lee kept hers on the stairwell, wondering if she should let the situation handle itself. Although, a part of her told her to stay where she was in case the silverette asked more questions. "So, anything else you want to know?" She asked. "Or are you good for now?"

Sarah tilted her head slightly with a thoughtful look and half-lid eyes before shaking her head. "Not exactly. I'm just thinking. It's not everyday when you find out your sister is a vampire, but somehow, it's not that scary to think about. I think it's because we've been together for a while to know that you're not just any vampire."

"So, this won't change our relationship?"

"Why would it? We're still sisters."

At her response, Lee couldn't help but smile and nod in agreement before placing her hands in her lap. "That's true. I just hope the king doesn't discover you. Then again, that's just wishful thinking."

"It's not going to stop you from making sure he doesn't turn me if he finds out though," Sarah placed a hand over the brunette's with a comforting look."Isn't that what you've been trying to do?"

"Yeah, but I can only do that for so long," Lee closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's only a matter of time before he tries to turn you. He's more dangerous than you think."

Sarah could only pout in return before pulling away with a sigh and standing up with hands on her hips. "Come on. Where's the optimistic Lee I grew up with?"

"Huh?"

"It's weird seeing you like this," Sarah replied as a smile slowly grew on her face. "You're usually cheerful in a stressful situation like this, so it's kinda worrying that you're so sad."

"It's not like I don't worry."

"I know you do. You just don't show it," The silverette lowered her arms before stepping away to head upstairs. "I'm going to bed. Just remember what I said." After a nod, Sarah gave her another smile before heading up the stairs to her bedroom. Lee stretched across the couch to gaze at the ceiling with half-lid eyes before shaking her head. She sat up to pull out her phone and glances at it with a worried gaze before sending out a text.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sarah awoke with a groan as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes, glancing over at the window to see clouds resting in the sky. She slowly sat up in bed with a stretch, thinking back to the night before and wondering if it was real. The silverette swung her legs off of the bed before stepping over to her dresser mirror with a yawn. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the bandage on her neck, and she lowered her gaze while pressing her finger against it. "It wasn't a dream then," She muttered. "I'm living with a vampire." Sarah knew she shouldn't treat this as a revelation, as she had always suspected there was more to life on Earth than she thought, but this brought more questions to her mind: how many vampires are around and how long have they existed? Did they follow the stereotypes or are they different than what humans see them as? Was there anyone else she knew who was a vampire?

Sarah stepped into the hall and noticed the smell of bacon and eggs drifting in the air, letting her know the brunette was awake. She shuddered when she was reminded this was the same brunette who tried drinking her blood. The silverette shook her head to deny any wavering thoughts running through her head, knowing too well that Lee was more than a bloodthirsty vampire. Sarah began to walk towards the stairs, cautious enough to not alert her sister, and stepped down to hear music coming from the kitchen. She peered inside to see the brunette singing along to a Chinese pop song, and didn't seem to realize the silverette was awake, at least to Sarah she didn't. The silverette didn't know for sure until the song came to an end, and Lee turned around to face her with a smile. "Glad to see you're up," She stated before turning back to the stove. "You feel okay after last night?"

"I'll manage," Sarah took her place at the island and rested an elbow on the surface. "Although, I do have questions."

"Questions that you probably have the answers to," Lee brought two plates to the silverette and sat across from her. "You've been in the supernatural for years, Sar."

"Yes, but I don't want to sound ignorant," Sarah responded sheepishly with an averted gaze and a smile. "Some stuff I've read and seen might not be true." She brought the plate of eggs closer to her and nodded to the brunette as a sign of thanks.

Lee crossed her legs before taking a bite of bacon. "In that case, I'll debunk some things for you," She paused for a moment to think about the most common misconceptions before continuing. "We can't turn into bats, we can see our reflection, we aren't afraid of religious objects, and instead of killing us, silver is the reason we're able to walk around in the sun."

"So the myth of vampires burning in daylight is true."

Lee nodded at the response and reached for the second piece of bacon on her plate. "And we've adapted to blend in with humans so we don't stand out."

"Well, yeah. You're proving that right now," Sarah pointed a fork at her with a lifted eyebrow before returning to her food. "Another question: can you use magical abilities?"

The brunette shook her hand in the air with a shrug as if to say there wasn't a single answer. "Well, yes and no. We can, but we don't have unlimited magic powers. Some vampires only have one magic-like ability, or in other cases two, but I haven't heard of a vampire being able to have multiple abilities."

"I see. What about you?"

"If it wasn't for my family, I would only have one power," Sarah tilted her head in confusion, and Lee realized she hadn't told the silverette her family background since being adopted into her family. "My family is known as the Xingchen Clan. We're given the name because of our power over the stars. If someone in the clan was skilled enough, they could manage to use the stars to destroy the Earth, but we've only had the power to detect when stars are being born and when they die; in some cases we can move them. But aside from that, I have the power to control lightning. I would show you, but I don't want to burn the house down; I'm not that good at keeping it condensed yet."

"That makes sense. So not everyone has the same power?"

"Nope. Your power is determined out of three ways: it's based off your most prominent trait, it's inherited from a family member, or it's random. You don't have control over what you get."

Lee saw that Sarah was silent as a response and was about to speak again until the silverette opened her mouth. "One last question: Do you know who's a vampire and who isn't?"

"Kinda," Lee shrugged before averting her gaze with a thoughtful look. "We know who's human and who isn't, but we can't tell if they're a vampire or something else." Sarah wasn't surprised to know of other non-human beings aside from vampires; she expected it to be that way naturally. She finished the rest of her breakfast and pushed her plate away.

Sarah stood from her seat before taking a few steps away and pausing. She held a hesitant look as she lowered her gaze towards the floor, bringing a fist close to her chest and releasing a sigh. "Tell me about the vampire king. What does he do?"

A response wasn't given as she waited, and Sarah turned around to see that her sister's smile had been replaced with a frown and she had her hands folded together on the island. Judging from her expression, the silverette could see she was troubled with whether or not she should answer, and the look made her want to know more but also not pressure the brunette on telling her.

Lee leaned back in her chair and averted her gaze with half-lid eyes. "King Virgil is a man who will use whoever he could for his own benefit. If you go against him, he won't hesitate to get rid of you. He'll keep you around until you've done what you're supposed to do," She gripped the sides of her chair with furrowed brows. "He's a paranoid man-child who doesn't care what others think of him and doesn't see our kind as nothing more than a colony of ants. Everyone else thinks the same."

"If that's the case, why don't they overthrow him?"

"The only person they hate more than the king is his half-brother, Maximus," The brunette crossed her arms with pursed lips. "They would rather suffer under a tyrannical leader rather than be ruled under an illegitimate heir."

"That's rather. . ." Sarah trailed off, unsure of how to word it, but she knew it was unusual. In her mind, she believed the people being ruled under a monarchy would do anything to overthrow their king if he wasn't satisfying the needs of the many, but now she began to think it isn't the same for all monarchies. "Odd."

"More like idiotic," Lee rested her chin in her hand with a lowered gaze. "If Maximus wasn't the bastard son, he would have already been king and saved us the trouble of being in this situation."

"Do you blame him?"

"Of course not," The brunette responded in a serious tone. "It's not his fault he was born in this situation. The previous king should have controlled himself more. Maybe if he didn't get drunk and act out of hand, he wouldn't have forced himself onto a random maid. Then all of his backlash wouldn't have existed to begin with."

"Lee," Sarah spoke up to stop her in case she went on a rant, and Lee gave her an apologetic look in return. "I can see you care about him if your attitude wasn't enough. We'll try and find a way to overthrow Virgil so he doesn't abuse his power."

"Yeah, but Sarah, I don't know if that's a good idea," Lee gave her a concerned look as she stood from her seat. "I'd want nothing more than to kick his ass, believe me, but you're a human wanting to interfere in vampire affairs, and I don't know if you should."

"If I was a vampire, it would be different, right?"

Lee's eyes widened at her response and she saw the silverette averting her gaze with a soft look; she didn't like where her sister was going with the conversation and hoped the silverette wasn't going to ask her what she never wanted to do. "What are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything," Sarah shrugged before stepping away towards the stairs. "I'm just stating a possibility." Lee held an unconvinced look as the silverette disappeared upstairs, and she proceeded to throw away the remains of their breakfast. Her sister's words echoed in her mind, and it made her feel uneasy. From the sound of it, Sarah was willing to let the brunette turn her; since becoming a member of the family, Lee had vowed to never even think of turning the silverette into a vampire because of the dangers that came with it. She placed the dishes in the sink with a sigh before glancing at the nearby window and noticing the dark clouds and assuming it might rain later in the day.

Fifteen minutes later, Sarah came back to the first floor in her usual dress and converse, and she proceeded to head towards the front door. Lee lifted an eyebrow with a tilted head. "Where are you off to?" She asked.

"Luke and I are seeing a movie," Sarah responded while grabbing her keys and making final adjustments in a nearby mirror. She nodded in approval before looking back at the brunette. "I'll be gone for a couple hours, but I'll text you when I'm on my way back."

"Take an umbrella. It'll probably rain."

"Way ahead of you," The silverette waved a black umbrella from the hall. "I'll see you later." Lee heard the front door closed, and she released a sigh while slouching in her seat on the couch. She gazed at the ceiling for a moment with half-lid eyes as she contemplated her next course of action. She wondered if she should tell anyone or if she should keep quiet. With a tilted head, she thought of the possibilities that came with what could happen now that Sarah knows the truth: Virgil could use her as a pawn as usual -or in rare cases leave her alone- which would potentially lead to him turning her, or he could try to have her rule as his queen; as exaggerated as the latter was, Lee wouldn't put the possibility passed him.

The brunette released a sigh before heading upstairs to her room, automatically stepping towards the phone that rested on her nightstand and scrolling through her contacts. A moment later, she pressed the phone against her ear and waited for the call to go through. "Maximus, there's something you need to know."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As expected, the rain began to drip onto the pavement as Sarah approached the movie theater with an umbrella clutched in one hand and a shoulder-bag resting on her hip, locking her car as she stepped through the front doors, looking around to see if her ravenette companion had shown up before her. After a minute or two of searching, she walked towards a nearby wall to rest against, texting the man that she had arrived and waiting patiently. Sarah glanced around at the pedestrians buying their tickets and snacks and walking to their designated theaters with happy smiles and chatter. She felt she needed to be more cautious with the information she received that morning; just because her sister wouldn't mindlessly attack her didn't mean any vampire wouldn't. The silverette released a sigh and rested her head on the movie poster behind her.

"Sarah!" She jerked her head towards the front door in surprise to see Luke waving at her with a smile. Behind him was a girl with orange hair and yellow eyes who had a confused look on her face, and Sarah had half the mind to assume she was Luke's younger sister. She paced over to him with a wave as he adjusted his umbrella. He gestured towards the girl with a smile. "Allow me to introduce her. This is my younger sister, Faith. Our father wanted me to take her with me."

"Nice to meet you." Sarah held out her hand and Faith shook it with a response.

The orange-haired girl gave her a look before turning back to her brother. "So, this is the girlfriend you've been telling me about."

Both Luke and Sarah stuttered at the comment, and Luke coughed with a light blush. "She's not my girlfriend." He muttered while averting his gaze.

"But you talk about a Sarah all the time at home," Faith gave him an innocent look with a tilted head. "Unless there's another Sarah with white hair, this is who you're talking about," She pointed to the silverette. "Lazarus and Max want to meet her too. Hey, maybe you should have dinner with us sometime."

"Fay, stop." Luke pulled his sister away and gave Sarah an apologetic look before his eyes widened at the sight of the bandage on her neck. Sarah noticed his face and shook her head. "I'm alright. It's nothing-" She was cut off when the ravenette grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side away from the crowd.

Sarah saw the fear in his eyes and wondered why he was upset about the injury. She saw that Faith had a worried look on her face as well and realized that it might be bigger than she thought. "Luke, I'm okay, really-"

"Who bit you?" Sarah was pushed in a corner with his hands tightly on her shoulders as a growl escaped his lips. Both she and Faith were taken back at his tone, and Faith took a step back in case something went wrong. "Sarah, who bit you? Oh God, you haven't been turned, have you?"

"No, no I'm not turned."

At her response, Luke let out a sigh of relief and released his grip and stepped back, and Sarah rubbed one of her arms awkwardly with a lowered gaze. Faith held onto Luke's arm to comfort him and rubbed his back gently. The ravenette turned back to the teen, the concerned look in his eyes never leaving. "You still didn't answer my first question." Sarah was a bit hesitant to answer, not knowing how Luke would react and what he would do. If vampires existed, there was a chance there was a human force that would do whatever it could to kill them all. But, Luke wasn't a bad person, and even though they've known each other for a couple of months, she felt comfortable around him. Sure, she thought he was rather snarky and blunt, but she could tell he was good at heart.

Sarah released a sigh and tilted her head, her gaze never leaving the ground. "My sister. That's all she did," She lifted her head to face him with a serious expression and a lifted eyebrow. "Seems too late to act stupid. You already know what she is. I shouldn't be asking this question, but how did you find out about vampires?"

"How did we find out about vampires?" Luke turned to the teen behind him with a worried gaze, unsure if he should continue. Faith lowered her head to think for a moment, her grip on her brother's arm tightening slightly as she pursed her lips into a straight line. With furrowed brows, she glanced at the ravenette and nodded before returning her eyes to the burgundy carpet underneath them. Luke scratched the back of his head with an averted gaze. He released a sigh and glanced back at the awaiting silverette. "Sarah, we are vampires."

Various pedestrians passed by them with excitement in their voices, but all Sarah could hear was silence that followed his statement. She was shocked, but a thought in the back of her mind told her she shouldn't be despite the difficulty of believing it. She never pried into Luke's personal life aside from various tales of childhood, and she never had the thought that he was something other than human. Sarah felt as though all of this information was hitting her at once; finding out the closest person in her life was a vampire, most of the mysteries being debunked, and now finding out her rescuer from two months ago was also a vampire as well. She almost thought it was too much to handle.

"Uh Sarah?"

Her head jerked up to see both Luke and Faith giving her a concerned look, and Luke had his arms partially stretched out to potentially stop her from doing something rash. "Are you okay?" Sarah held her arms and averted her gaze, which gave the siblings the idea to give her some space.

Sarah took in a few breaths before dropping her arms and slowly looking at the two once again. "I'm just. . ." She paused, unsure of how to word it. "Surprised. You didn't seem inhuman."

"I wasn't trying to hide anything if that's what you're thinking," Luke shook his head. "But, to be honest, when you told me you suspected people of not being human, I was about to tell you the truth, but I didn't know how you would react, so I kept it to myself."

"And we didn't know each other that well either." Sarah looked away with a lowered head as she continued to process how this information could affect the future. On one hand, this wouldn't change anything in the slightest, and she might be thinking of the worst possible outcome unnecessarily. On the other hand, this can't be brushed off as something to not worry about; who knows what could happen now that she knows the truth.

"So, this won't change how you think of me?"

"Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you're a bad guy," Sarah smiled. "You could be an alien for all I know and I'd still want to be friends with you."

Faith giggled at the comment before glancing around and tugging on her brother's arm. "We should go. We're getting some looks." Some passing pedestrians took a few glances at them but either chose to ignore them or wonder what they were talking about.

Luke sighed and glanced at the time on his phone before turning back to the silverette. "We have about ten minutes of commercials left. Let's do what we came here to do."

Throughout the next five minutes of getting their tickets and snacks, Sarah focused on wanting to know more about Faith, and it didn't take long for a conversation to get going. Sarah made sure not to talk about any sensitive subjects so she chose to avoid the girl's vampire heritage for the time being. The two made sure to bring Luke into the conversation so he wouldn't feel left out, although he was more content with his sister making friends. During the movie, Sarah's mind drifted off to her lingering thoughts she held earlier that day. Lee had mentioned that the vampire king might try to use her; it made the silverette wonder when Virgil would find out what she knows and whether or not he would gain knowledge of her. The brunette had warned her what kind of person he was, and with all she's heard, she's afraid of what he might do to her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a gunshot that rang throughout the room, presumably from the movie, and she felt Faith grab her arm as she jumped in her seat. Looking back at the ginger-haired girl, she smiled and patted her head gently to comfort her. Sarah decided it wasn't the best idea to worry about the king as it would only stress her out. _If he finds out, then he finds out._ She thought to herself with crossed arms as she pushed Virgil out of her mind.

An hour later, the rain had cleared up slightly, but it wasn't enough to tell Sarah to walk out the door without a hood. She zipped up her jacket and made sure she didn't leave anything in the theater. She turned to face Luke and gave him a hug with a smile before hugging Faith. "It was nice meeting you." She said happily as the girl hugged her back.

"Make sure you get home safe," Luke responded to her. "People have trouble driving in the rain."

"I'll keep that in mind." After another wave, Sarah sprinted towards the parking lot, thinking that the rain might change its mind and start pouring. She noticed that Luke and Faith haven't started walking, and she thought it was because Luke wanted to make sure she got out of the parking lot safely. Luckily, there wasn't trouble, and the silverette began to make her way home as dark clouds began to rumble over her head.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sarah leaned against the shopping cart as a customer a few carts in front of her was arguing with a cashier as Lee glanced at her phone with pursed lips and a lifted eyebrow. It was an early afternoon weekend, and the beginning of the next school year was upon them. However, there were still parents that littered various stores with their children to make sure they had more than enough supplies. Of course, this didn't apply to Sarah and Lee, as they had already graduated community college and are now living on their own, but they tended to avoid this time of the year unless it was necessary, which in this case, it was; Lee had forgotten to stop for groceries the week before, and Sarah wanted to join her for the second trip to make sure she wasn't distracted.

Once the line started to move, Sarah released a sigh and glanced down at the jacket that sat between the items that were going to pay for separately before turning to the brunette. "If you went to go look at something else, I would probably still be here."

"Nah. I got what I wanted," She pointed to the movie case that looked like it was thrown in the basket in contrast to the nail polish that had been placed gently on a small jacket. "Besides, I'd never leave you alone in a place like this."

"You're forgetting when you ditched me to get on another ride at the carnival last month." At her response, Lee opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and averted her gaze with a sheepish smile, not wanting to admit the silverette was right. Sarah lifted an eyebrow and smirked in victory before stepping forward and placing the groceries on the platform. "One of the neighbors told me that her mom is getting another dog."

"Why? She has three," Lee leaned against the cart and helped the silverette. "That's more money to spend on it."

"Her parents do make good money," Sarah shrugged in return. "I think they don't know what to do with it."

"Sar, we have more money than we know what to do with. Have you heard from William recently?"

"It's not our money to spend," Sarah told her firmly as she placed the bar behind her items so the brunette could place hers on the platform. "And I haven't for a few weeks. Last I heard, he told us to visit more; he, Michael, and Noah are kinda lonely."

"We'll visit during a holiday," Lee suggested with a smile. "Michael and Noah are busy with school, so that's a good time." Sarah nodded in response before hauling her bags in the shopping cart and giving room for the brunette to pay. In no time, the duo were making their way out of the store and towards the parking lot where they managed to fit the grocery bags in the car with the rolls of fabric Sarah had bought earlier that day. The sun shone high in the sky with white clouds surrounding it as cars sped across traffic lights and down back roads. The sisters drove home in silence as the radio was treated as background noise as they passed by construction sites, sidewalks, and various shops and houses that were lined against the road.

When they entered the house, Lee stretched after she placed the bags on the kitchen counter and flung open the refrigerator door in order to sort out the newly bought food as Sarah began to fill the cabinets. After a couple minutes, the two made their way into the living room to watch a movie to pass the time, not knowing what else to do for the time being. Lee rested her head on her sister's shoulder with half-lid eyes, and they both kept their eyes on the TV with the occasional comments either teen had to say. Eventually, Sarah stood up to stretch and left the room to grab her drawing tablet and laptop from upstairs to work on a design she had come up with earlier that week.

Once the movie ended, it followed with the silence that encased the room save for the silverette drawing away on her tablet. Lee groaned and threw her head back with a pout before turning to her stoic-faced sister. "Can you think of something for us to do?" She asked.

"Why not visit Maximus?" Sarah asked with a lifted eyebrow, not tearing her eyes away from the screen.

"He's busy," Lee replied with an averted gaze. "Plus, I don't think it would be a good idea. Virgil could be spying on us and he would find out that you know of us. Since we're talking about hanging out with people, why aren't you with Luke?"

"Today is his birthday. I already sent him a birthday text, so I'm giving him time with his family."

"If you say so," Lee leaned across the couch to peer at the laptop with a curious look, and rested her chin on the girl's arm with a lifted eyebrow. "Did we somehow give you inspiration?"

"Why say that?"

"Well, it looks a bit gothic to me," Lee pointed at the design, careful not to press her finger against the touch screen. "And usually, whenever something is gothic, it has something to do with a weird emo phase or it's related to vampires. Listen, I know they used to dress that way but it's still not cool."

"It has nothing to do with vampires." Sarah reassured her calmly.

"You sure?" The silverette had pushed the brunette's face away when she got too close and nodded. Lee hummed for a moment before shrugging and pulling away. She proceeded to step into the kitchen for a short moment before returning with a large bag of chips and heading towards the shelf to pick out another movie. "How about we watch King Kong? It's been sitting here for ages."

"Which version? We have both."

"The original?" Sarah thought to herself for a moment before closing her laptop and placing it on the coffee table, watching her sister pull out the classic and holding it in the air. Releasing a sigh, the silverette shrugged and dug her hand into the bag of chips. "Screw it. Put it in." Lee grinned before pulling out the previous disc and replacing it. She plopped next to her sister on the couch and grabbed the remote before leaning back with a smile and allowing the movie to play.

* * *

Later that night, Sarah's phone went off in the living room, and she assumed it was William checking up on her to see how she and Lee were doing. However, when she checked the caller ID, she was surprised to see that it was Luke who was calling her. She thought he had accidentally drunk-called her, but it didn't stop her from being worried about his well-being. She brought the phone to her ear with a concerned gaze. "Hello?"

_"Hey, Sarah?"_

The silverette was surprised to see Faith on the other line, and she almost felt nervousness swell in her chest. "Is something wrong with Luke?" She asked.

_"Oh no. No, he's fine. Our father gave him a little too much to drink, and he's getting hard to handle,"_ Sarah heard someone yelling in the background, and she shook her head with a smile as a result. _"So I was thinking that maybe you could come over and- someone explain to me why he's undressing!"_

Sarah had to pull the phone away from her ear for a second to question what exactly was going on at the Anderson household. "So, explain why you're calling me."

_"Well, if you were around, then maybe he would calm down and be less stubborn. He does seem more happy when he talks about you." _Sarah sighed with a light pink spread across her face as she averted her gaze. She knew the ravenette told his family about her, but if what the teen said was true, she would honestly feel kind of proud for being friends with such a person.

She shook off her blush before responding. "Alright. If it makes you feel better, I'll be there. I need to let my sister know first."

_"Okay. I'll text you the address."_

Sarah hung up the call, and shortly after, she got a text from Luke's phone indicating where he lived. She quickly made her way upstairs and down the hall to knock on the bathroom door. "Lee, I'll be going out tonight. I'll probably be back tomorrow."

Not long after, the door opened to reveal the soaking wet brunette peaking behind it as the shower continued to run. She had a lifted eyebrow as she brushed wet hair out of her eyes. "Where are you headed?" She asked.

"Luke is dead stupid drunk," Sarah explained with crossed arms. "His sister asked me to head over there to calm him down. I don't know how long it'll take, so I might spend the night."

"If he tries to make a move on you, kick him in the dick." Lee replied sternly as water dripped on the floor.

"I probably won't need to," Sarah shook her head before stepping away. "I'll tell you if I'm staying the night or not." The brunette waved before closing the door, and the silverette made her way to her bedroom to pack her bag.

Twenty minutes later, she cautiously pulled up to the driveway of the address that Faith had sent her, and began to prepare herself for what she might see. She stepped towards the front door, releasing the breath she had been holding in before knocking. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal Faith having a relieved look on her face, but the concern was still showing in her eyes. "I'm glad you're here." She said as she allowed the silverette inside the house before closing the door behind them. The first sound Sarah heard was a string of slurs coming from the living room, and for a moment, she was reluctant to see what had happened. As Faith led her to the living room, she noticed the few pictures hanging in the hallway that showed various members of the family; aside from Faith, the other three children in the pictures looked completely different from one another, reminding her of when Luke had explained he and two of his other siblings were adopted.

The first sight to behold Sarah was a teenage boy with brunette hair sitting in the loveseat and laughing hysterically while another brunette was gently bent over Luke and rubbing his back while the birthday boy in question vomited into a nearby trashcan. Standing in the doorway to the kitchen was a much older dark-haired man leaning against the wall with crossed arms and shaking his head. "I brought the backup." Faith said while pointing to the silverette. The three who were sober glanced at the two of them, and the brunette boy wiped the tears that swelled in his eyes from laughing. He approached the teen with a smile and held out his hand. "Hi, Luke's girlfriend! Nice to meet you. I'm Lazarus."

Sarah couldn't help but blush as she shook his head. "I'm not his girlfriend." She corrected, and the boy's face was filled with disbelief.

"You don't have to pretend," The man from the kitchen spoke up while waving one of his hands. "We're not gonna embarrass you."

"I'm not pretending," Sarah responded with a lifted eyebrow before glancing at the ravenette on the couch and pointing to him. "Will he be alright?"

The brunette hunched over Luke looked back at him with a shrug. "He'll be fine. He's dealt with worse," Ignoring the moan from the ravenette, he stood up and extended a hand out to the silverette. "I'm Maximus, by the way."

It dawned on Sarah that this was the person her sister had been telling her about. Ignoring the drunk on the couch, she shook his hand with a smile. "You're the one Lee has been telling me about."

Maximus's eyes widened somewhat at her response, and he almost gave her a look of disbelief. "Lee, as in Lillee?"

"Yes."

"Girl with pigtails?"

"Yes."

"Asian?"

Sarah placed a hand over his mouth to stop him and she nodded. "Yes, we're talking about the same person." Maximus nodded as an apology, and she stepped back with a chuckle before looking back at Luke. "So, anything I need to do?"

"Make him comply to whatever we say," The man in the kitchen groaned as a response before turning to his other children. "Max, get him some clothes, doesn't matter what, Lazarus, get another trashbag, and Faith, get him some water." The three headed upstairs, leaving Sarah alone with their father as he took one look at his eldest before motioning the girl to follow him into the kitchen. He reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a beer before turning to her. "The name is Trevor in case you're wondering. I'm the father of that drunken idiot in the living room and those brats running around upstairs."

"It must be tough being a single parent of four," Sarah leaned against the kitchen counter and watched him take a swig. "I remember Luke saying that Faith is the only one related to you."

"That's my princess. I spoil her rotten," Trevor chuckled with a lowered gaze and a smile. "It's been tough without her mother being around, but I guess that's what happens when you become a widower," Sarah had half the mind to ask what happened, but she knew she wasn't in a position to, so she continued to listen to him ramble. "I've known Luke since he was a kid, and he willingly wanted to be with Faith and I because he felt bad about our situation. Lazarus is my godson in courtesy of his parents, and I've watched over Maximus since he was born. Well, I kind of had to because the previous king wanted nothing to do with him," The two saw Faith return with a glass of water and force her brother to sit upright so he wouldn't spill it while Lazarus was heading outside to dispose of the bag filled with vomit, and Maximus was on standby with a pile of clothes in his arms. "For a second, I thought they all wouldn't get along, but here we are. We've had our ups and downs, but nothing too serious has gotten us to the point of hating each other. Lazarus might be a punk, Maximus might not talk much, Luke might be a jerk, and Faith might be a nerd, but you can tell they care about each other."

Sarah watched Luke argue with Maximus as the brunette forced a shirt over his head and proceeded to step back into the living room. With a groan, Luke lifted his head and realized she had been in the house the whole time, and his eyes widened as a result. "Oh God," He groaned while covering his face with his hands in embarrassment. "I didn't know you were here."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Faith placed her brother's head in his lap and began to stroke his hair with a smile. Immediately, Luke's shoulders began to relax and he closed his eyes. The teen closed her eyes and started singing him a quiet lullaby to soothe him. Luke's hands wrapped around her waist as he nuzzled her thigh with a relieved sigh. Sarah lifted an eyebrow as she watched from the loveseat and realized she was singing him a Disney song. She turned to the other 3 males in the room, who were minding their own business and didn't care that their 16-year-old sister was singing a lullaby to her now 21-year-old brother. She was surprised at how calm the room was despite the chaos that happened earlier in the night. It wasn't long before she heard a quiet snore, and saw the ravenette fast asleep in his sister's lap.

Cautiously, Faith placed his head on a couch cushion and pulled a nearby blanket over him before Trevor ushered the four of them out of the room. "Now that that's over and done, I'm getting some sleep." He waved at the teens before heading upstairs, and Lazarus and Maximus soon followed suit.

Sarah glanced around the room before looking over towards the front door. "Guess I should be heading home." She said to the teen who hadn't gone upstairs.

Faith, however, grabbed her hand with a smile. "I don't want you driving home this late. You can stay the night. Daddy won't mind. Besides, you didn't bring a bag here just to take it back." Sarah couldn't help but admit she had a point, and she shrugged in agreement. After turning off the lights on the first floor, she led the silverette upstairs and down the hall. Sarah glanced at the pictures on the wall that described various events throughout their childhood, smiling at one that showed the ravenette throwing water balloons at Maximus and Lazarus while Faith cheered him on; another picture showed the four of them standing in front of Disney Castle in Florida, and a third showed them dressed in various costumes on Halloween.

Faith opened her bedroom door and Sarah was surprised to see that Trevor had meant it literally when he said she was his princess. The room seemed too fancy for it to belong to a fifteen-year-old girl, and the silverette glanced around to see a shelf covered with stuffed animals to her right, a pile of pillows sitting against the headboard of her bed, a TV stand that was filled to the brim with movies, a Cinderella poster taped on her wall, and an anatomy book resting on the nightstand; Sarah found that to be the most out of place item out of the entire room. Faith turned on a lamp before stroding over towards the window and opening it gently, and Sarah saw a row of flowers on the ledge. "How did you father manage to get all this?" She asked as she set down her bag.

Faith turned around after she closed the window and opened her closet door. "Well, Daddy works as the king's advisor, and he gets paid way higher than the other staff because he works so close to the king. That's why we're able to make as many trips as we do."

"That would explain most of the house looking like the inside of a mansion."

Faith nodded and pulled out an orange, thigh-length night gown and stepped further into her closet to change into it. "It didn't always look like this," She explained. "When Lazarus moved in, Daddy decided to redecorate to make room for the four of us. We stayed at the castle while it was being finished, and that's when the king found out about Luke."

"What was his reaction?" Sarah asked as she pulled her pajamas out of her bag and sent a quick text to her sister back at home.

"Well," Faith paused for a moment as she brushed her hair out of her usual pigtails before continuing. "He was a bit mad at first, but then he praised Daddy for increasing the vampire population."

"I see," Sarah pulled her shirt above her head and rested her bag against the wall and Faith patted the space next to her on the bed. The silverette crawled under the covers with her and Faith nuzzled into the pillows. "It's been a while since I've had someone other than a family member in my bed," She muttered. "I never had people stay the night often. Didn't want to be embarrassed by my brothers."

"It must be tough being the only girl."

"Not really," Faith turned off the lamp beside her bed with a smile. "Luke and Max tease me a lot, and Lazarus gets on my nerves sometimes, but they care. Luke almost got in a fight with a freshman in my class when I first started high school. I scolded him for it too," Sarah chuckled and gazed at the ceiling softly. "It's nice having a bunch of people care about you. It shows you you're not alone, and it makes you happy. It's a nice thought." The teen trailed off into silence, and it took the silverette a moment to realize she had fallen asleep. She turned away as she closed her eyes with a deep sigh as she realized how tired she actually was. There wasn't another moment to think before sleep overcame her and her head sank into the pillow.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The smell of coffee arose the silverette from her sleep, and she shifted herself awake. The first thing she saw was Faith still fast asleep on the pillow next to her, her hair covering a good portion of her face and her arms were wrapped around an Eeyore plushie. Sarah slowly sat up and stretched, blinking a couple times to wake herself up. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she was surprised she was up so early. Sarah noticed the sun was beginning to rise according to the faint light coming from the window. Figuring she wasn't going to get any sleep soon, the silverette decided to head to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat.

The silverette pulled her shirt down so it wasn't riding up her torso before stepping into the hallway. She made her way down the stairs to see a light glimmering from the kitchen. Ignoring the snore from the living room, the older teen looked to see Trevor chugging the coffee mug he was holding while he was leaning against a counter. The man slammed the mug onto the counter beside him and took in a few breaths before turning to his guest. Sarah saw a trim of red on his upper lip and she assumed what he was drinking was blood. "Morning," He greeted the girl as he tried to sound more awake. "I hope what you saw last night wasn't too embarrassing."

Sarah shook her head with a smile as Trevor gestured to the fridge, indicating that she is allowed whatever she wanted. "I've seen worse. Nothing I'm not used to." She opened the fridge and saw it was more organized than she had originally thought. After a moment, she pulled out a small cup of yogurt with a spoon and closed the refrigerator door behind her before stepping towards the doorway to the kitchen.

Trevor glanced at the clock before stretching out his arms. "Alright, I might as well get breakfast started," He turned to the silverette with a gentle gaze. "Mind sticking around for a bit?"

"Sure," Sarah replied with a smile. "I don't plan on going home until later." The ravenette nodded to her before stepping towards the stove as she quietly made her way back upstairs.

* * *

Maximus opened his bedroom door with a yawn and noticed how quiet the house was. He didn't bother wondering what the time was due to possibly knowing where everyone was. The brunette stepped into the hall while rubbing sleep out of his eyes and shaking his head to wake himself up. After blinking a couple times, he noticed a light coming from under the bathroom door. At first, Maximus thought his brother had woken up and was currently vomiting, but after not hearing a moan, he crossed the option off of his list. Then, he believed Trevor was cleaning himself up for whatever reason, but then shook off that option once he smelled bacon from the first floor. _That's weird. Who's in there?_ He thought to himself while stepping to the door. _Faith and Laz are probably still asleep, so who is it?_ Pausing for a moment, he gently knocked on the door and was half-expecting the worst.

The door opened, and Maximus blinked in surprise when he saw Sarah in front of him wearing a tank top and shorts and holding a hairbrush with a confused look on her face. It finally dawned on him that the silverette had arrived the night before to help with their drunken eldest sibling, and apparently, she had stayed the night. "Did you need the bathroom?" She asked with a lifted eyebrow.

Maximus shook his head and took a step back. "No, no. I just didn't know who was in here. I didn't realize you spent the night."

"Faith didn't want me driving home so late, so she asked me to."

The brunette nodded in understanding and crossed his arms, knowing his little sister far too well to doubt the silverette's words. He glanced back at the hallway once again before speaking. "Is Trevor in the kitchen?"

"Yes. He was wondering when you would wake up."

"In that case, I'll head downstairs." Maximus waved at the teen before she closed the door, and he made his way towards the stairs. He yawned once again before peering inside the living room to see his brother still asleep, the smell of bacon growing stronger with a hint of coffee. The brunette poked his head into the kitchen to see Trevor at the stove with a lowered head.

Once he noticed the brunette, he glanced up with a lifted eyebrow. "Didn't expect you to be up this early," He commented. "Mind waking up the other two before this gets cold?"

"And Luke?"

"Leave him. He'll wake up eventually." Maximus nodded before quietly heading back upstairs once again, breathing out a sigh as he debated on how he was going to wake up his younger siblings. He thought to be gentle with Faith as he had a feeling his foster father would drive a stake through his heart if he wasn't otherwise. Not to mention the girl wasn't the lightest sleeper, so it would take the brunette a bit of force. With Lazarus, however, he had a different approach.

He could finally get his revenge for the April Fool's Day prank.

Maximus shook off the slight grin that appeared on his face before opening the door to his sister's bedroom, releasing a sigh when he saw her curled up under the sheets. The top of her head was barely peeking out from under the covers and her almost silent snores were the only sound in the room. The brunette gently stepped towards the bed, towering over the girl before slightly shaking her. "Faith, you have to get up," He spoke softly. "Trevor is making breakfast, so if you want to eat, you gotta get up." The response was a shift under the covers and a faint moan, causing Maximus to shake her again with a chuckle. He had to hold in a laugh when she sat up with a messy bedhead while clutching the plushie in her arms. Faith yawned and rubbed one of her eyes, muttering to the brunette that she would be up in a minute. He nodded before exiting the room and stepping down the hall, a smile growing on his face again as he thought of how to wake his younger brother.

Unlike Faith, Lazarus was spread across the bed face down against the pillow, and while his snores were quiet, they weren't as quiet as their sister's. His face was towards the wall and his hair was splayed across the pillow. Maximus stepped forward quietly and bent down to take a handful of hair before pausing. With a wide grin, he harshly yanked the teen upright by the hair, earning a cry of pain as a result. Lazarus howled and held his head. "Ow! What the-"

"Get up, you punk." The brunette responded coldly, trying to stifle the laughter in his throat as he sped into the hall.

Sarah had barely entered the kitchen when she heard a loud thud from the bottom of the stairs and a moan of pain from both brunettes. She and Trevor headed into the hall and saw the two collapsed at the foot of the stairs. Lazarus was nursing a forming bruise on his head and Maximus was making sure none of his bones were broken. Trevor sighed aggressively and gave them both a hard glare. "Care to explain?"

"He pulled my hair!" Lazarus whined while pointing at the other with a pout.

"That was payback for dying my hair." Maximus retorted, his eyes flashing crimson with a snarl. The ravenette man pulled them both to their feet and pushed them out of the hall and towards the kitchen, muttering about how he was too old to deal with this. A moment later, Sarah heard a yawn and saw Faith step down the stairs with a tilted head. Without a word, she glanced at the two brunettes, and based on their expressions, she could already tell why everyone was shouting. She stepped into the living room, glancing at the ravenette who was still fast asleep, before gently setting the plushie she held on top of his head.

Faith stepped back as Luke rolled over with a moan, the plushie falling to the floor, and he cursed loudly at the pounding headache that came with waking up. He bent over with gritted teeth, and the teen gave him a moment to let the pain subside. Sarah stepped into the room to see if everything was alright before the ravenette lifted a finger. "Coffee." He spat with a groan.

Sarah lifted an eyebrow with a confused gaze, having a feeling that coffee wouldn't help the man with his hangover. She glanced over at Faith, who shrugged before walking into the kitchen for food, before looking back at the ravenette once again. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"Coffee." Luke repeated, glancing at her with furrowed brows and a pained glare. Sarah took a step back with a nod before pacing back into the kitchen towards the Keurig that sat on the counter, shrugging her shoulders at Trevor with a confused look.

Trevor gently nudged her aside and took her place in front of the coffee maker. "This is normal for him."

"Wanting coffee after drinking?"

"Well, we kind of expected this," Maximus entered the kitchen with a stretch and grabbed a plate from the cabinet. "When he and I were in high school, we would risk being late because he refused to leave a half-empty mug of coffee behind."

"Then Daddy had to force him out of the house, and he was grumpy the whole ride there." Faith giggled before taking her spot in the dining room next to Lazarus, who was still nursing the bruise on his head. Trevor handed the mug to the silverette with a nod, and she smiled as a thanks before walking back to the living room. Slowly, she approached the ravenette, gently handing him the mug before he almost yanked it out of her hand. Luke threw his head back and chugged deeply, surprising the silverette but not surprising the rest of his family. He took a breath with a sigh as he almost slammed the mug on the coffee table, revealing to Sarah that it was empty.

Luke brought a few fingers to his temple with a wince, letting the pain subside before glancing at the silverette once again as a sign of thanks. "So, what are your plans for today? It can't be to just hang out with my insane family."

"Hey!" The teenage siblings retorted from across the hall while Trevor and Maximus just nodded in agreement.

Sarah giggled as a result before responding to the ravenette. "Actually, I was going to head home later."

"May I come with you?" Maximus asked almost too excitedly, causing the rest of the family to give him a confused look. Once he realized how he asked his question, a light blush spread across his cheeks and he averted his gaze and scratched the back of his head. "I-I mean, I want to see how Lillee is doing. If you'll let me."

Sarah smiled with a nod, silently admitting to herself she would be surprised if he said nothing. "Just tell me when you're ready. She'll be glad to see you." She saw the brunette's eyes light up, and she stifled the giggle that tried to escape her lips before stepping into the kitchen to fix a plate of breakfast.

About half an hour later, Maximus nodded to the silverette after getting dressed and proceeded to step towards the front door. "I'll be back later!" He called to the rest of his family.

"Tell Lillee I said hello!" Trevor was the only one to respond as his other siblings had migrated upstairs. The brunette gave the silverette a smile before they exited the house quietly.

* * *

Sarah pressed a finger to her lips as she pushed open the door, leading the taller brunette into the house and noticing how quiet it was. Maximus glanced around with a lifted eyebrow as the silverette led him towards the living room. "Stay here. I'll see if she's awake." The brunette nodded before the teen disappeared upstairs, looking around the room with a lifted eyebrow as he stepped over to admire the framed photos that were littered across the shelves and the TV stand. A good portion of the photos were the two teens throughout their childhood, a few were the exception, but there were some that stood out more to him: one photo showed the two of them at the beach with a woman Maximus assumed was Sarah's mother, and another showed Lee with a grin on her face holding an award.

Maximus stared at the photos for another few moments before hearing movement from the hall and turned around to see Sarah with a smile facing away from him. "Sar, I don't know why you're so excited," He heard Lee's voice close by, almost not realizing she was around the corner. She had a hand on her hip as she released a sigh before opening her eyes to notice the older brunette in the room. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, and her mouth slightly hung open. Sarah had to stifle a laugh at her reaction and turned away with a hand over her mouth. Lee broke out of her trance and jerked her head to glare at the silverette. "You couldn't have said something?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

"You could have warned me so I would look decent at least." Lee puffed her cheeks in embarrassment and pulled on her shirt with a lowered gaze, her face turning a light pink. She shot a quick glance at her friend before returning it to the floor.

Maximus chuckled at the sight of her flustered face and smiled before speaking up. "I don't mind, really," He reassured. "I had a feeling you weren't awake yet so I just assumed."

"That doesn't make it okay though," Lee muttered under her breath before releasing another sigh. After a pause, she finally had the courage to look at the older brunette. While she still looked embarrassed, her gaze had softened immensely. "Don't go anywhere while I get some clothes on."

"Wasn't planning on it," After a quick smile, the teen disappeared upstairs, and Maximus gave a worried look to the albino in the room. "I didn't upset her, did I?"

"No, it's alright," Sarah shook her head with a smile. "She was still happy to see you even if she was embarrassed. I think that's because of how much she missed you."

"And I missed her," The brunette responded sincerely with a lowered head, and the look in his eyes told the silverette he meant it. Maximus sighed before glancing at the photos once again, spotting one with the two on their graduation day and another with the two during one Halloween. He heard footsteps and turned his head to see Sarah on his left with a smile. Maximus's lips curled upwards and he placed a hand on his hip. "So, what's happened since we've been apart?"

A half hour later, the duo heard footsteps, and they both turned to see Lee emerge from the stairs with a smile on her face. Sarah blinked in surprise and lifted an eyebrow at the clothes she wore: while she wore her typical thigh-length shorts and converse, her shirt was more of a classy style compared to the more casual tank tops and t-shirts she usually sported. Sarah also noticed that her pigtails had more of a curl to them than before, and her gaze lowered to see the brunette wearing the green nail polish she bought as well as a ring on her right hand. It didn't take long for her to realize why she was dressed this way but decided to ask anyway. "You look nice. What's the occasion?"

"It's bad for me to want a change of style?" Lee crossed her arms with a tilted head. Sarah had a feeling that wasn't the only reason, but she wasn't going to push it if the brunette wasn't willing to tell her. Although, the affectionate look on Maximus's face just proved she was right.

Sarah shook her head and placed a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "No, I'm just curious. You must want to go somewhere if you're dressed like that."

Lee lowered her gaze towards the ground and placed her hands behind her back as if she was deep in thought. "There is one place that just opened downtown that I want to check out. Let me grab my phone and we'll go," After a nod from the two, Lee quickly made her way back upstairs into her bedroom, slowly closing the door behind her and glancing at her attire with a slight grimace. "You knew he wouldn't mind whatever you wore, so why go to this length?" She asked herself quietly. "Why were you trying to impress him?"

The brunette released a sigh and gently tilted her head back and felt it hit the door, closing her eyes for a moment to let herself think. Her head dropped forward with a groan. "Why are you so worked up? He's your best friend. Of course you'd try to impress him. Now stop worrying." She shook off her frown and replaced it with a smile before spotting her phone resting on her desk. Lee stepped over to pick it up before she heard it vibrate. Lifting an eyebrow, she peered over to see the caller ID, freezing when she recognized the number.

Her hand was outstretched, merely inches away from the phone as it continued to buzz, but she didn't grab it. Lee didn't know what to do: on one hand, she could let it go to voicemail, but that would cause the person on the other line to call again, and no matter how many times she didn't answer, he would continue to call. On the other hand, if she answered, who knows what the person on the other line would say, and she knew it would be something outrageous.

Lee soon calmed the anxiety that filled her chest before she slowly took the phone in her hand and brought it to her ear. With another breath, she composed herself for a moment before speaking. "What do you want?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sarah peered at the castle looming over her as Lee drove passed the black gates surrounding it, an eerie feeling creeping up on the three of them as they approached the building. Maximus held a somber look as he leaned against the car window with half-lid eyes. Sarah glanced at her sister, who held a deadpan expression but her eyes held deep concern. Whether the concern was for her or what might happen, Sarah didn't know. What mattered to her was how the meeting would conclude.

Sarah and Maximus were ready to spend the day in peace until Lee informed them that Virgil had wanted to meet Sarah face to face. At once, Maximus refused, not wanting the girl to become another pawn, but knew it was only a matter of time before they had to meet. Lee suggested they should get the meeting over and done with before Virgil got impatient. Sarah had to admit she was nervous due to how her sister had described him, but she knew she would feel safe with Lee and Maximus around, and she hoped the king was smart enough to not try anything.

When they pulled up to the front door, Sarah waited for the two brunettes to exit the car first before she followed. For some reason, she felt anxiety rise in her chest and she lifted her head, slightly blinded by the sun glaring against the windows. She felt Lee grab her hand and squeeze it, and she looked to see the teen with a fear-filled gaze. Maximus averted his eyes with pursed lips before slowly climbing the steps. The two girls followed shortly after, and with every step, Sarah felt more nervous the closer she approached the black double doors that stood before them. She held in a breath and bit the corner of her lip as Maximus pushed open the doors.

The main hall was empty save for the faint chatter of the residents a few ways away. The three of them stepped forward quietly, glancing around the area cautiously in order to hopefully spot the king. Sarah felt herself being pulled closer to Lee, and she was about to say that she was alright, but pursed her lips instead. Even though she felt safe to an extent, she knew she wasn't in a safe place, and she didn't know how other vampires would react to a human being inside the castle walls; Sarah had a feeling it wouldn't be pretty.

"I'm surprised you're here this early," The three of them froze at the voice and looked to see Virgil standing at the top of the stairs. Sarah couldn't help but blink in surprise. The man standing before them looked completely different than what Lee had described him as: he held a prideful demeanor that was shown in his posture, and while he wasn't dressed as a typical king, he was presentable enough to show he was rich. The smile he held was soft and warm, and for a moment, Sarah didn't know what to believe. "I wasn't expecting you until later. Are you that excited to see me?"

"We knew what would happen the longer we waited." Sarah heard Lee mutter under her breath, and it caused Virgil to frown and lifted an eyebrow. Maximus gave her a worried look as a result, biting the corner of his lip and not wanting to imagine his response.

Instead, Virgil ignored her comment and trailed his gaze towards the silverette next to her. The smile returned and he had a more pleasant look on his face. Slowly, he extended his hand before speaking again. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Virgil Voronin, King of the vampires." Sarah paused for a moment before shaking his hand, feeling the tight grip his fingers had and lifted her head to face him. Getting a better look at him, she could see what Lee meant: She noticed the confidence emitting from him and assumed that's where the manchild side that Lee described came from. She didn't know what to expect aside from what she was told, and that made her more nervous.

Virgil turned his attention away from the silverette and towards the two brunettes with her with furrowed brows. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk with Miss Sarah alone."

"Out of the question," Lee sternly replied while stepping forward with a fearful glare. "If you think for one second I would leave her with you of all people-"

"And what exactly would be the problem?"

"You know exactly what the problem would be." Maximus growled at him, his British accent coming in full force. Sarah realized that the king had yet to let go of her hand, and she was beginning to worry. She noticed the glares her sister and Maximus were giving him, and that gave her a sign to not trust the ravenette vampire in whatever he had planned. However, a part of her wanted to learn more about the king and his motives instead of hearing it from someone else. While she trusted Lee and knew she had no reason to lie, Sarah felt it was the best option to find out exactly what was going on.

Sarah pulled her hand away with furrowed brows before turning to the brunette teen at her side. "I think a little time would be harmless," She said to her with a smile. "Don't you think so?"

Lee's eyes widened as she gave the silverette a look of disbelief filled with fear, glancing between her and Virgil's smirk of approval. "You're not serious, are you!?"

"I am," Sarah replied while turning to the ravenette with her hands behind her back. "I'd like to know how things work around here if you don't mind. I wouldn't want to be ignorant regarding the vampire customs that are established."

"Sar." Lee bit the corner of her lip and lowered her gaze anxiously. She balled her hands into fists before looking back at Virgil, mentally cursing him out at the sight of the satisfactory look he was giving the other teen. She trusted Sarah with everything, and even though she trusted the girl in regards to her safety, she didn't know whether Virgil would keep up his side; Lee had a feeling he wouldn't.

Maximus placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it for comfort before glancing at the silverette with a troubled gaze. "Alright. We'll be in the lounge when you're done." Lee gave the girl another longing look before the two of them stepped into a near hallway and out of sight. Once they were gone, Sarah felt fear rise in her chest and looked to the ravenette next to her. Virgil merely smiled at her and gestured to the staircase, indicating he wanted to take a walk with her. Slowly, Sarah nodded and began to follow him up the steps and into a corridor.

Sunlight shone through the windows, giving the air around them a pleasant and warm aura to it, but Sarah could still feel tension with every step she took. She wasn't sure if it was the castle itself or the residents living in it, but she had a feeling it wasn't either option. The silverette turned her gaze towards the king cautiously, noticing that the smile he wore had disappeared completely and was replaced with a slightly angered expression as though he was annoyed. Although, the look in his eyes told her otherwise; they held complete determination and strength, something that would be normally found in a leader. However, Sarah couldn't help but detect that something was off. There was a sort of amateurish glint in his eyes that she couldn't fully make out, but she kept it noted for the time being.

"So, what do you want to know, Miss Sarah?" Virgil spoke up with an interested tone but his expression turned blank.

Sarah turned her head towards the windows with half-lid eyes and her hands behind her back, spotting a few people outside who seemed rather uneasy despite the smiles on their faces. She grew worried but answered the king anyway. "I'd like to know more than what my sister has told me."

"Oh, Lillee is your sister?" Sarah knew the response was sarcastic. There was no way Virgil didn't know that if he called the brunette specifically for her. Sarah didn't know how much he knew about them, but if he knew they were sisters, there's no telling what else he was keeping secret. Her brows furrowed as a result as he continued. "Very well. What would you like to know?"

Sarah lowered her head to think. "Well, I would like to know how you came to exist. There have been many stories, but I'd rather hear it from the species itself than a book."

"Fair enough," A servant saw them step through the hall and pulled himself to the side and bowed with a dreaded gaze. Once they passed, the servant scampered away hurriedly. Virgil gestured her into another hall before speaking. "The first vampire came to be because of a faulty blood transfusion in the 1400s, which would be a good explanation as to why we drink blood to survive. It's also quite fitting for a species such as ours; the cause for our creation is our food source. Of course, that doesn't apply as often now as it did back then."

Sarah wasn't surprised at the origin, already having the thought it had something to do with blood, but she could attest to the change in food source because of Lee. However, while she wasn't fully satisfied with the answer, she accepted what she was given before asking another question. "Do you only rule the vampires here in America, or do you rule over the vampires worldwide?"

"Worldwide," Virgil replied as the smile returned to his face. "I can't be everywhere tending to the needs of the people, so there are assigned caretakers in every region. They help keep the peace and protect vampire-kind."

"Protect vampire-kind from what?"

"Other species of course," He turned to her, and Sarah saw his eyes fill with ambition. "Come now, do you really think vampires are the only non-human beings on this planet?"

"It never crossed my mind that you were," After finding out about the existence of vampires, Sarah thought it was only a matter of time before she realized they weren't the only ones. She wasn't surprised about this information, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious about what the other species were. Sarah first thought of the typical werewolves and mermaids that were normally found in most if not all of supernatural fiction, but she also thought there were possibly more than she could think of. "Why would you need to protect the vampires from these species?"

"They're envious of the luxuries we have. They don't show it, but I can tell," Virgil's response held a slight growl, and his gaze hardened as he spoke. "And because of this, they'll do whatever they can to take that luxury away from us. The humans see us as freaks and want to wipe us off the map entirely. So why shouldn't I destroy them first?"

Sarah stopped in her tracks at his response, her eyes almost widening in disbelief. She almost thought he was joking about his words, but the look in his eyes told her he was serious. Sarah knew next to nothing about what it was like being a ruler, but she knew for a fact it was unnecessary to attack someone unless they pulled the punches first, and what she just heard heavily implied that Virgil called the shots first. To her, he was making baseless assumptions on the other species who probably wanted nothing to do with vampires. Sarah pursed her lips, keeping her gaze away from the ravenette with a lowered head. "How do you know they'll attack you?"

"It's better to attack them before they have a chance."

Now he was being foolish. However, Sarah wanted to believe there was some sense somewhere in him, but at that point, she was afraid of whatever answer she would receive. "And if the people are opposed to the attacks?"

"Anyone who is opposed will be seen as sympathetic towards the enemy and will be punished accordingly."

"I see." That was it; the last chance she had given him disappeared and concluded his appearance as an act to cover his true motives. Sarah didn't know if it was on purpose, but she wouldn't put it passed him. She grew more nervous and wanted to end the conversation immediately, but she didn't know how he would respond to her wanting to leave. She felt an eerie aura behind her, and the moment she turned around, her chin was grabbed and tugged forcefully to face the king's gaze. Sarah's eyes widened when she saw crimson red replace the brown in his eyes, and she found herself unable to look away.

"I find it interesting that you're so curious about us," Virgil spoke in a soft, low tone with half-lid eyes, a smirk being in place of the frown he once held. "And I can't help but wonder if it's because you want to be a vampire yourself."

"What?"

"What other explanation would there be for fascination with creatures such as us?" His thumb stroked her cheek gently, and his expression was almost seductive. His eyes lowered, his shoulders relaxed, but his grip tightened as Sarah was pulled a tad bit closer to him. "I could make that come true right now. I'll let you in on every little secret I know, and you could help protect the people. What do you say, dear?"

"I..." Sarah felt herself being entranced, and for a moment, she almost believed he was right. While it was true she had wanted to become a vampire herself -she's had the thought for years- however, she knew he was wrong about the reason why. Sarah held a firm gaze as she took a step back, causing Virgil to lift a confused eyebrow as the crimson color began to disappear, and it allowed her to jerk out of his hold. "While I do want to be a vampire, you don't know the reason why."

"Does it even matter?"

"To me, it does," Sarah responded in a hard tone as her hands curled into fists. "But that's something I would never tell you," Her gaze never wavered, and she was practically glaring at the man on the spot, almost congratulating herself for the surprised look on his face. For some reason, she felt she would regret her choice sooner, but at the moment, she didn't care. She turned on her heel and averted her gaze. "I'd like to be taken back to my sister. We're done here."

There was silence at her request before footsteps made their way to her side. Sarah slightly turned her head to see Virgil hold out his arm in an attempt to show her the way with eyes filled with slight anger. He clearly wasn't happy but decided to respect what she wanted; at least that's what Sarah had thought before she remembered he had already proven himself to be simple-minded. She first thought to give a snarky comment before holding her tongue, not knowing what kind of reaction she would get. Nevertheless, she followed the ravenette back down the hall they came.

Virgil opened a door to reveal Lee, Maximus, and a much younger ravenette girl sitting on a couch. Once they saw the two enter, the girl gave Maximus a fearful gaze. Maximus gave her an apologetic smile in response. "I'll check up on you later, alright?" She nodded before hugging the brunette tightly and scampering out of the room which was followed by Virgil glaring at the girl as she ran.

Lee bolted from her seat and ran towards the silverette with a worried gaze. "Are you alright!?" She asked almost frantically and began to check the girl and make sure nothing was wrong.

"Nothing has happened to her."

"Like I'd believe you." Lee snarled at the ravenette with a visible scowl.

"Everything's ok, I promise." Sarah placed her hands on the brunette's shoulders for comfort and gave her a soft look. The brunette still looked worried, but she nodded at the silverette's response before pulling away. She nodded to Maximus before the three of them began to make their way back to the main hall.

"I hope you would reconsider, Miss Snow. It would make me especially happy." Virgil spoke from the other end of the room the moment Lee placed her hand on the door. Sarah's only response was a blank gaze before she followed the two brunettes out the door. Neither of them wanted to ask what the two of them discussed, knowing that Sarah would tell them sooner or later. However, their bigger question is what Virgil's next move will be now that he's met Sarah face to face and how he might plan to use her as a pawn. Lee didn't know whether she or Maximus was more concerned, but she didn't think it mattered since they were worried about the same thing. As Lee drove away from the castle, Sarah didn't know if she felt relieved or scared, but she knew for certain that something big was going to happen in the future.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"You what!?" Luke hissed, wanting to keep his voice down regarding the space they were in. It was his break time and Sarah had led him to an empty corner in the library to speak with him about what happened the day before. Sarah felt that Luke was the first person in her eyes to know of her meeting with the king while her sister and Maximus decided to tell Trevor what had happened. Unsurprisingly, his reaction was what Sarah expected.

Luke glanced around the area once again before turning back to the teen with a worried gaze. "How did that go? Please tell me he didn't try anything."

"I wouldn't exactly say he tried anything," Sarah flipped through the pages of a book to make sure she didn't leave in a random placemarker inside. "It was more like he was trying to convince me so it would seem consensual. But, that didn't turn out well for him," She handed the book to him before flipping through the next one in a small stack with half-lid eyes. Sarah noticed the unsure look on his face, watching him avert his gaze and bite the corner of his lip nervously as though he wasn't fully convinced. She placed a soothing hand on his shoulder with a smile. "I'm okay, really. Don't worry."

"It's not that," Luke replied with a lowered gaze as he was handed another book, skimming through the pages to make sure nothing was damaged. "I know what he's gonna do. I've known the guy since I was a kid, so I've got a pretty good idea on what he could do, but he's so unpredictable at times."

"How did you two meet?" Sarah helped him arrange the books on a nearby cart before wheeling them away into an aisle to set them back in their respective spots. She could probably answer her own question after Faith had told her their father was Virgil's advisor, and after what the girl had told her about his reaction towards the ravenette, then she didn't know what would have happened when she and Virgil met. Luckily for her, it didn't go as hectic as she thought it would be, but after she rejected him, who knows what Virgil could do.

Luke pursed his lips as he slid a book onto the shelf before speaking. "It was after Lazarus was adopted. Trevor said that he wanted to renovate the house now that there were four of us, and until the renovations were done, we would be staying in the castle. He was conflicted about it, and I think it was because Virgil still didn't know about me, but he went through with it anyway."

"Faith said that he was angry at first."

"Oh he was," The ravenette replied as he stepped down the aisle. "He didn't say anything, but you could tell by the look on his face that he was pissed. I think we were all scared to approach him until he calmed down. Until then, I was in the same boat as you. A human not knowing about much to a vampire getting all of this information shoved in their face. It's a lot to remember, and I don't know why I didn't give up trying to learn it all."

"You are stubborn," Sarah pointed out to which he shrugged in response and she peered at the shelves slowly being filled. She frowned before speaking again. "The only positive thing that came out of that visit was seeing what he was like instead of hearing it from other people. I don't regret it, but it's not something I'm comfortable knowing."

"I felt the same when I met him," Luke paused for a moment, slightly clutching the cart handle as he stopped in his tracks. "I got sort of an eerie vibe from him, like he wasn't who he appeared to be. And I thought I was right because Faith and Max looked terrified on the way there, and even Laz didn't look okay. I didn't fully get it until he insisted that I stay at the castle to train."

"Train for what?"

"What else?" Sarah didn't need to be told twice, so she nodded as she listened to him continue. "Of course, Trevor objected because for one thing, I hadn't even reached puberty yet, and two, I was still a kid who hasn't learned about the rights and wrongs of the world and he didn't want me to learn from his twisted vision. The only reason I agreed was I promised Trevor I would only fight in self defense. I haven't really had to fight unless Virgil sent me out like a foot soldier, and even then, I didn't attack unless the opposing side started it."

"And you killed them?"

"I had no choice," Luke leaned against the shelf with a sigh. "I had the option to either be killed by them or killed by my own king. You can tell what I want with cause I'm still here." Sarah couldn't help but grimace, but nodded in understanding as he gave her a questioning look. "I'm surprised you're taking all of this well."

"It's better than freaking out," Sarah intertwined her fingers behind her back and turned her head towards the window. "I'll be honest. I didn't know how yesterday would turn out. With the way Lee and Max were acting, I expected it to get bloody. I think it was because Virgil wanted to keep up appearances, but I'm not too sure."

"Are you scared?"

"Who wouldn't be?" Sarah turned on her heel and began to step into another hall, checking her bag to make sure she had everything and glancing back at the ravenette. "I'll see you later, alright? I'm meeting with my father soon."

"Hey, before you go," Luke slightly outstretched his arm before pulling back, his words catching in his throat. Sarah gave him a lifted eyebrow as he spoke again. "You think we can get dinner sometime? We haven't had a chance to really talk in a while."

"Are you asking me out?"

"Does it seem that way?" Luke scratched the back of his head sheepishly with a smile, chuckling with an averted gaze.

Sarah couldn't help but giggle as she slightly swayed, feeling the tension in the air start to fade. She rolled her eyes and turned back towards the door once again. "We can work out the details tonight if you want."

"Sounds good." They both waved at each other a final time before Sarah readjusted the bag strap on her shoulder before quietly making her way towards the small parking lot. She glanced down at her phone to see if she had received any new messages and was surprised yet disappointed to see nothing. Sarah sighed before guiding herself away from the library while awaiting the plans from the ravenette for later in the week. Sarah was in a better mood than she was when she first arrived, and the eerie feeling she had was almost completely gone. Sarah didn't know whether it was from the conversation or being in Luke's presence, but she wasn't going to think too hard on it.

* * *

The three of them were silent as Lee had finished explaining what had happened at the castle. Trevor's expression was a combination of disbelief and fear,and he turned his gaze over to Maximus to confirm the brunette's words to make sure his age wasn't getting the best of him. The man simply nodded with a lowered gaze. Trevor leaned back in his chair with a hand running through his hair, quickly shifting his gaze towards the beer bottle that sat next to him before it returned to the duo. "And she made it out of that alive?"

"We're surprised too," Maximus responded with crossed arms, leaning back in his seat with slumped shoulders. "I expected him to throw a tantrum when she rejected him."

"He's planning something, I know it," Lee lowered her head with furrowed brows. "He's trying to lure her in."

"He's trying to do the same to you or whoever else he wants to control," Trevor took a swig of his beer with a sigh. "Lack of patience means he's frustrated, frustration means he won't think straight, and not thinking straight means he'll be reckless. Max isn't doing what he's told anymore, you're refusing to marry him, and Sarah has turned him away. I don't know about you, but he's going to do something crazy."

"Crazier than waging war on everybody and killing his own kind?"

"You never know," Maximus responded to the girl with a shrug. "My brother is capable of anything no matter how immature he is."

There was silence afterwards save for the occasional shift in position and the ravenette setting the bottle back onto the stand next to him. Maximus couldn't help a slight grimace appearing on his face and causing Lee to take notice and hold his hand in comfort. "In any case, that's what we came to tell you. We thought you should know since you're his advisor."

"A job I'm not proud of anymore."

"Yes, but you're the only one he takes advice from," Maximus replied. "He trusts you. If anything, you can stop him from doing something worse. For all of our sake."

Trevor lowered his head with pursed lips, averting his gaze briefly with a quiet sigh. "I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best."

Lee nodded with a smile before she stood and dusted off her clothes, indicating for the other brunette to follow suit. The two waved goodbye to the ravenette as they stepped out of the house with content smiles. Once they were back in the car, Lee released the breath she was holding in and slumped in the passenger seat. "I'm worried," She confessed. "Virgil's a hard man to convince."

"He's stubborn just like our father," Maximus frowned with crossed arms. "All he cares about is making sure we obey him like a bunch of lapdogs. I think you or Sarah was the breaking point."

"But something's off now," The teen lowered her gaze as she spoke with an unsure tone. "He's normally forceful about what he wants. Since he tried to turn me, nothing's happened, and he didn't try to do anything to Sarah. Isn't that weird to you?"

Maximus's eyes slightly widened as he opened his mouth to speak, but averted his gaze and pressed his lips together. A thought came to his mind that made his eyes fill with worried content before he spoke. "No, it's not weird."

"Huh?"

The older brunette started the car and gave her a blank gaze, pulling out of the driveway and towards the street behind them. "It's not weird."

Lee was about to protest before she held her tongue. She reminded herself that she hadn't seen Virgil or his brother since she was 7, and she didn't know what had transpired in those years they had been apart aside from Maximus's status as the most hated vampire in the monarchy. Maximus had seen a side of him she didn't know about, and from his expression, she could tell it was a surprise from him too. The brunette leaned back in her chair and peered out the window to see clouds forming in the sky, a few of them proceeding to cover the sun. Lee sighed with half-lid eyes before feeling a hand take hers and squeezing it gently, and she responded by returning the hold.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Lee practically stormed through the garden with Maximus hot on her tail with furrowed brows. She sent a glare back towards the archway that led back indoors before huffing her breath with crossed arms, wincing slightly at the sunlight that touched her skin. Maximus scratched the back of his head awkwardly with a worried gaze, watching her take a seat on a nearby bench and sigh. He took the seat next to her before speaking. "So, what's your response?"

"If I don't do it, he'll get pissy and whine," Lee scoffed with a lowered head. "But, I won't do it for him. I would spite him, but I don't think that's a good idea."

"What's your plan then?"

"I'll need your help," Lee put on a smile before leaning closer to him. "You can play piano, right? Can you put something together for me?"

"Yeah, but I need to know what I'm working with." Maximus averted his gaze sheepishly. Lee gave him a comforting smile and held his hand, causing a light blush to spread across his cheeks as a result. He returned her gaze before standing and crossing his arms. "I'll see what I can do." He spoke with a sigh. Lee's eyes lit up and she hopped off of the bench with a grin, nodding to him as a sign of thanks.

"U-Uncle Max?"

The two brunettes turned to the archway at the sound of a young voice, and their eyes widened to see the ravenette girl with her hands curled into fists and her gaze lowered towards the ground. Maximus's heart sank at the sight of a light red swell on her left cheek, and he immediately left Lee's side to check up on her. He hesitantly reached out to cup her face, and she winced when his fingers barely grazed her. "Did Virgil do this to you?"

The young girl nodded, and a moment later, tears began to swell in her eyes, and she started sobbing on the spot. Maximus immediately pulled her into a tight hug, and she didn't hesitant to return it as he tried to quiet her down. Lee kept her distance, knowing it wasn't her place to interfere. But, she was still rather confused; she knew the two were close, although she didn't manage to learn much before Virgil and Sarah returned from their walk, and she had simply forgotten about it. With the girl sobbing out apologies, she figured it wasn't the best time and reminded herself to ask the man later when the girl was finally calm.

Maximus placed a sweet kiss on her temple and pulled away. "Come on. Let's get away for a bit," He turned back to the teen with a sad smile. "Want to come along?"

Lee placed her hands behind her back and nodded with a smile. Maximus took the young girl's hand, and the three of them proceeded to step through the halls towards the parking garage on the lower levels, desperate to be anywhere that wasn't near Virgil's presence in a way that could set him off.

* * *

Luke's eyes almost bulged out of his head at the sight of the large mansion that sat in front of them as Sarah pulled up to the front steps. She couldn't help but snort at his gawking face as she stepped out of the car with a small bag hanging off her shoulder. She pulled him by the wrist as they made their way up the staircase, and Sarah lightly knocked on the door. The two stood for a moment before the door partially opened, and Luke was slightly surprised to see an elder man standing before them. The man gave the two a warm smile. "It's good to see you again, Miss Sarah."

"Nice to see you too," Sarah gave the man a smile as the two stepped into the main hall. The man lifted an eyebrow at Luke and turned to her for an explanation. "He's modelling for me."

"I see. I wish you luck."

Sarah nodded before leading the older ravenette up the stairs and down a corridor. Various servants passed by them and greeted the silverette with happy smiles. They were confused with Luke's presence, but trusted the teen in her reasoning why he was in the mansion. Sarah was also grateful for the lack of questioning, knowing the servants did it often when she brought home a stranger, but she thought it was because they knew she was an adult and could make her own decisions. Luke, meanwhile, was ecstatic to be in a place he never imagined visiting. Of course, the Snow mansion wasn't as large as Ardeal Castle, but he was still awestruck. William Snow was known as one of the wealthiest men in the country, and Luke sort of admired him because of his good nature and his ability to not lose his cool when he's frustrated. Luke didn't know if he would able to meet the man, knowing he would probably be busy, but he could only hope since he was in his home.

Sarah nodded to him with a smile as they entered through a doorway, and Luke's jaw fell open. The room had light blue walls with large windows to allow natural light inside. A plain, white carpet covered the floor that stretched to the walls to make sure nothing made its way underneath it. There were a few mannequins standing against the wall that were next to a large shelf of rolled fabric, and there were a few canvases that had unfinished drawings on them. Luke blinked in surprise as Sarah closed the door behind him and set her bag down. "You can look around while I get ready." She spoke while reaching in her bag.

Luke nodded and proceeded to pace around the room, noticing some large photos hanging against the walls, his eyes widening slightly. The photos consisted of Sarah and presumably Lee in various outfits, dating back to when the two were preteens. Luke honestly didn't know if the outfits were store-bought or handmade since they looked to be the result of either option. Of course, Photoshop helped with the lighting and some addition effects, but it didn't take anything natural away from them. He pointed to one of the photos, one with a young Sarah and Lee in matching white dresses with slight differences before speaking. "So, did you make all of these?"

"Not at first," Sarah pulled out a blue tape measure with a sketchpad and a pencil tucked under her arm. "I didn't start making my own clothes until I was 11. William taught me how to draw, and Mom taught me how to sew. It was sort of tough since math isn't my strong suit, but I managed," She led the ravenette to a nearby door, which Luke assumed led to the closet, and she pulled out a short, green dress with a black Chinese pattern wrapped around it. "I made this for Lee for her Sweet 16th. I didn't know whether to go with silk or cotton, but you can guess based on which material was cheaper."

"It still turned out great though." Luke complimented with a smile.

Sarah averted her gaze shyly before returning the dress back to its place on the rack before stepping out into the main room. She gestured for him to stand on a small platform before setting the notepad on a nearby chair. "Strip." She said in a commanding tone. Luke wanted to make sure he wasn't hearing things, and he gave the teen a look of disbelief. Sarah pulled on the tape measure for emphasis. "It's a precaution. I want to make sure I got your sizes correct before I start sewing and making assumptions," Luke nodded in understanding, mentally slapping himself for having the thought as he slowly pulled his shirt over his head as she continued. "Besides, you shouldn't feel so embarrassed. I've already seen you half-naked."

The comment made Luke's face heat up slightly as he lowered his head, immediately shaking off his blush and causing Sarah to giggle. Luke reluctantly pulled off his pants and dropped them in a pile next to him, and Sarah gestured him to hold his arms out in a T-pose. Luke watched with a lifted eyebrow as she wrapped the measure around his chest with furrowed brows and a determined gaze, pulling away for a brief moment to jot down some numbers. "Flex for me?"

Half an hour later, Luke was fastening his pants before the door partially opened, and the two of them spotted a young blonde boy peeking out from the hall. "I-I heard you came back, Sis."

"Just for a while," Sarah replied while grabbing some supplies. "I'll be leaving in a few hours. Oh Luke, this is my youngest brother, Noah. Noah, this is Luke."

Luke held out his hand to shake the boy's hand, although Noah kept his gaze away from the two with a lowered head. Eventually, he shook the ravenette's hand before scurrying away to another place in the mansion. Luke turned to the girl in question. "I didn't do anything, did I?"

"No," Sarah pursed her lips while twirling a pencil between her fingers. "He's been like this since Mom died."

Luke frowned and pulled on the hem of his shirt, not wanting to ask about the details if it was too painful for her to recall. He silently watched her draw on the canvas, wondering what she could have possibly used him for but decided not to question it. Although, he could make out the drawing being a suit of some sorts, but he also noticed she was sketching something else on the side.

In no time, her sketches were finished, and Sarah began to push him out into the hall when the clock struck 4:00. "Remember, pick me up at 7." She spoke with a smirk as they stepped down the staircase, waving to any passing servant they saw. Luke nodded as he glanced down the hall at the different paintings and other artwork that hung against the walls. The two of them continued their walk in silence, stepping down the front steps and back to Sarah's car. Sarah sighed before smiling at the ravenette, reaching over to poke his cheek before driving away from the mansion. Luke watched it disappear behind the trees as he leaned against the window with half-lid eyes, quietly sighing as he mentally prepared himself for that night.

* * *

"Are you sure this looks okay?"

"You look fine, Sar." Lee reassured while brushing her hair out of her usual pigtails. Sarah turned back to the mirror with pursed lips, pulling a lock of hair behind her ear and dusting off her dress one last time.

The clock on the wall read 6:50, and Sarah had spent the past thirty minutes getting ready for her dinner with Luke, and Lee was a second option on what she should wear. After almost destroying her closet, Sarah settled with a knee-length blue dress with a thin black belt around her waist, short, ruffled sleeves, and low-wedged heels; her hair had been curled at the edges, and Lee couldn't help but notice the snowflake pendant she wore around her neck. She followed her sister down the stairs, looking back at the clock that read 6:55 and sighing at how much prepping the silverette was doing. "Sar, nothing's wrong. You look good. Stop trying to impress him."

"Says the one who was trying to impress Maximus a couple days ago."

Lee bit her tongue as a response, and Sarah couldn't help but smirk. She pulled some strands of hair out of her face before the two of them heard a knock on the door. The silverette almost rushed to open it, eyes widening in relief to see Luke on the front porch with a nervous smile. His black slacks were neatly tucked in a pair of boots along with a short-sleeved, red dress shirt with a couple buttons popped open at the top; he also wore a black blazer with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Lee whistled as a compliment, glancing over towards the silverette with a smirk.

Both girls' eyes widened when Luke pulled out a small rose with a sheepish smile. "Faith and Trevor's idea. Wouldn't let me leave the house without it."

"How sweet," Sarah gently took the flower in her hand with a warm smile, setting it down on a nearby table and grabbing her keys. "Be back around 9."

"You better be." Lee said playfully as the two waved their way out the door.

"So, where are we going?" Sarah asked as the ravenette pulled out of the driveway and onto the street.

Luke furrowed his brows slightly, and Sarah almost thought he was troubled by the question before he sighed. "It's somewhere I used to go with my parents all the time when I was a kid."

Sarah was hit with another thought. She knew Trevor was his adopted father along with his younger brothers, but she never exactly knew what happened to his actual parents and their circumstances. Sarah believed Luke never preferred to mention them, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious. "If I can ask, where are your parents? Did something happen?"

Luke pursed his lips, leaning back when he hit a red light and slumping his shoulders. Sarah bit the corner of her lip and lowered her head, averting her gaze towards the curled up fists resting in her lap. Luke hummed to himself in thought, pressing the accelerator when the light changed and tilting his head slightly. "My parents were vampire hunters. Proud of it too. They wanted me to go with them on missions when I got older, but the VHA won't let anyone under 15 join."

"The VHA?"

"Vampire Hunter Association. Yes, it exists. Been around for centuries," Luke turned a corner as he spoke. "I never exactly wanted to, but I felt like my opinion didn't matter, so I didn't say anything."

"So, where did Trevor come in?"

"I knew him for a couple years before, so I considered us friends," Luke replied. "I never told my parents about him because he was a vampire, and I knew they would try to hunt him down because he was a "bad influence" on me," He signaled air quotes with one hand for emphasis as he continued. "It was about a couple nights after his wife died, and I felt bad for him. So, I asked him to turn me because I didn't want him to be alone, and I didn't want to see him sad. I was ten at the time. He didn't want to because I was a kid, and turning me -much less feeding off of me- would leave a bad taste in his mouth. But, stubborn little me convinced him."

Sarah noticed they had pulled up the restaurant, but Luke never opened the door to leave, and it was understandable; neither of them knew who could be listening in, and they had to be cautious. Sarah glanced out of the window briefly and spotted a small family exiting the front doors, the parents having embarrassed looks on their faces as the father hauled their screaming child into the parking lot. She turned away with a slight grimace before speaking. "Did you get caught or was it an easy transformation?"

"Of course we got caught," Luke slumped in his chair. "My parents shot at him, that much I know. I was delirious the whole time, so I can't exactly remember what happened. I remember some shouting and some gunshots, Trevor whispered something to me, and then I blacked out."

"Well, it's clear they didn't kill him," Sarah remarked with a half smile. "So, how did your parents adjust?"

Luke crossed his arms with pursed lips. "When I woke up, the first thing I did was bite my dad because he was the closest person to me. Took me a minute to come back to my senses, and I felt awful."

"For being a vampire?"

"For biting my dad," Luke leaned his head against the window. "After that, they were scared of me. They either didn't know what to do with me or they didn't want to deal with me. I think they stuck around out of obligation because I was their son. I thought they were gonna call the VHA on me, but they never did. Probably did it out of mercy."

"Where are they now?"

"Don't know," Luke shrugged. "I woke up one morning a few weeks after I was turned, and they were gone. Their car was gone, the closet was empty, and their valuable stuff was gone too. They just...left me."

Sarah's eyes slightly widened in disbelief, but she had a few ideas. If she had to guess, his parents probably felt guilty for what happened and guilty for distancing their son after he was turned. Sarah believed the ravenette when he said they were taking care of him out of obligation; she had a feeling if he wasn't their flesh and blood, they would have wasted no time to kill him. The thought made her shudder uncomfortably before looking back to face him. Luke's expression was stern but content as though he didn't care what happened to his parents but still held a grudge against them for leaving him as a child. But, there was something else on her mind as well. "How did it feel?"

"Huh?"

"How did turning feel?" Sarah lifted an eyebrow with her question. "Did it hurt, or did you not feel anything?"

Luke's eyes widened, confused and worried about why she was asking. He couldn't tell what she was thinking from her curious gaze, but he also didn't want to disappoint her. Luke sighed and opened the door before stepping out of the car. "You should have an idea on what that's like after your sister bit you."

"True," Sarah stepped out after him and held onto his arm. "But she didn't take any blood. She just bit me."

"And how was that?"

Sarah brought a finger to her chin in thought before responding. "It was a sharp pain, but it went numb right after. I didn't feel anything."

"That's how it feels being turned, but it's a little," Luke said as they approached the front door of the restaurant. "You start feeling dizzy, and it feels like you're gonna pass out at any minute, but you're trying so hard to stay conscious. It's like going to sleep almost."

"I see." Luke held open the door for her and the two stepped inside, content to enjoy the rest of their night with no troubles. They left the conversation about Luke's parents in the car, knowing it wasn't a good idea to bring it with them and letting it disappear. There was no doubt it would come back to give them issues, but for now, it was nothing to worry about.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Lee had taken a stack of plates from a servant and proceeded to neatly place them across the giant circular table in front of her as she spotted other servants doing their best to clean the floor. Luke was on the other side of the ballroom cleaning off a few tables and Maximus was spreading out tablecloths across them. Trevor and Lazarus were standing at the head of the ballroom; Trevor was making sure everything was in order and making sure Lazarus didn't wander off on his own in fear of something going wrong.

Luke lifted his head from the table he was cleaning with a smile. "Whoever heard of a prince doing a servant's job?"

"Huh?" Maximus lifted his head with a raise eyebrow in confusion, tugging on the cloth one final time to make sure it was straight enough. He lowered his gaze with a slight frown. "You know you can't call me that. I'm not a prince."

"Unlike your niece, you still have your birthright," Trevor crossed his arms as his eyes never left the clipboard in his hand. "Yes, you're the bastard, but Richard never said you couldn't have the throne. If Virgil was going to take it away, he would have done it the moment he was crowned king."

"See? So you're still a prince, dude." Lazarus decided to sit on the floor next to his godfather. Maximus averted his gaze with an unsure pout before scampering over to another table. Lee smiled at him softly before she made the final adjustments to the buffet table and stepped away with a satisfied grin.

A maid quickly step towards the brunette royal with a worried look. He leaned down so she could whisper in his ear, and his eyes slightly widened as a result. Maximus glanced at her, and the maid only nodded in response, her face growing more afraid by the second. Maximus turned to the rest of his family with a frown. "I got to go. Continue without me." Trevor took one glance at his face before nodding understandingly. Without another word, Maximus followed the maid out of the ballroom and down a nearby corridor, and the rest of the group watched them disappear.

"By the way, where did Sarah and Faith run off to?" Luke asked as he reached over a larger round table.

"Sis said they were going shopping," Lazarus replied, not taking his eyes off of his phone. "I don't know when they'll be back though."

"Tell them to drop off the stuff at the house," Trevor responded grimly. "I trust them, but I don't know what could happen if they went here." Lazarus nodded and sent out a quick text to the older teen with half-lid eyes. Lee couldn't help but agree; Sarah was the more vulnerable of the two and there was no telling what vampire would try to prey on her if she went to castle. She could care less about what their status was.

Luke finished the last table and stepped towards the large balcony where servants were putting up decorations at the archway. He leaned against the railway with a quiet sigh and looked over at the castle gardens with half-lid eyes. He wasn't sure if he was looking forward to Virgil's party, and he didn't know if it was because he was automatically invited or the fact that Virgil hadn't hosted a party since he was eleven. He twirled a finger around the silver chain on his neck with a frown and leaned back, feeling the heat crawl up his neck as he turned away from the rail. Without having a clue on what to do, he decided to finish his brother's task and stepped back into the ballroom with a more light-hearted expression.

* * *

Sarah walked down the steps leading into the plaza with a couple bags in her hand. Faith scampered closely behind her with a backpack strapped on her. She twirled a lock of hair with a light hum and she followed the older teen towards a bench where the two sat to rest. Sarah glanced at the small pond behind them and leaned her head back to stare at the clouds. "Hey Faith. There's been something I've been meaning to ask."

"What is it?" Faith lifted an eyebrow as she pulled out a candy bar from her bag. She held a confused gaze as Sarah pursed her lips with half-lid eyes. Faith had to wonder what was bugging her and a single thought came to her mind. "Is it about my brother?"

"What?" It was Sarah's turn to be confused as she raise an eyebrow.

"You don't have to worry," Faith took a bite out of the chocolate. "I haven't seen him like this since he was in high school. He's head over heels for you, and you have everyone's permission to date him."

"O-Oh."

Sarah flushed and averted her gaze, and it only caused Faith to grin. She swung her legs and lowered her head to stare at her feet. The chocolate bar was gently hanging in her mouth and it slowly melted between her teeth. "It's funny. I can tell when people are attracted to each other even though I don't feel anything myself."

Sarah's blush disappeared as she turned back to the teen in slight surprise. Faith shrugged as a response and tilted her head to the side with half-lid eyes. She sighed quietly as she threw the wrapper away in a nearby trashcan. "Well, I'm glad you told me that," Sarah spoke when she stepped back to the bench. "But that's not what I was going to ask."

"Then, what were you going to ask?"

Sarah released a breath and smoothed out her skirt, biting her lip nervously. "How did your mother die?"

Faith's smile vanished and her face grew somber. Sarah immediately though she crossed some sort of line, and she slightly shrouded when Faith's eyes slowly turned away. Her eyes were closed for a moment, but when they opened again, they were colored crimson. "King Virgil killed my mom."

Sarah's eyes widened in shock and she saw tears tempted to roll down the girl's cheeks. Faith balled her hands into fists as she continued. "Virgil had called her to speak with him alone. She was gone for the rest of the day, and Daddy seemed to get worried. Then, we got a call later that night, and Virgil told us something had happened to her. We arrived at the castle, and..." Faith trailed off, the tears finally running down her face despite her furrowed brows. She sniffed as her eyes reddened. "We saw her as a bloody, crumbling corpse. T-There was a hole in her chest where her heart was, l-like it was ripped out of her or something. I-I didn't know what was going on. I was barely four."

"Faith."

Sarah placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort, but Faith didn't look away from her lap. "Daddy recognizes how Virgil kills. That's how he figured it out."

"Why didn't he quit being his adviser?"

"Me," Faith wiped her tears. "He thought Virgil would try to do something to me if he quit. He's scared of losing me. I don't blame him."

That would explain the tension that came out of Trevor's mouth whenever Virgil was mentioned. At first, Sarah believed it was the normal tension of not being fond of his years as king, but now she had more context, and it seemed to line up with what she had seen when she first met him. She pursed her lips and pulled the younger teen into a hug. Faith returned it and nuzzled her shoulder. The two were still for a minute before Faith pulled away and stood up. "We should get going. Laz said to drop the stuff off at the house."

Sarah nodded and grabbed her respective bags before following the teen out of the plaza. Faith still looked rather tense, but Sarah boiled that down to thinking back on bad memories and it made her feel worse for bringing up her mother's death. However, Faith gave her a reassuring smile, and whether that was for herself or not, Sarah didn't know, but she accepted it anyway.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Sarah held in a breath and kept her hands in her lap as the car slowly approached the castle before them. Her hair was tight in a low bun with a single strand separating itself. The snowflake pendant hung over her collarbone. The strapless, blue gown she wore had a glistening sheer over the skirt and black heels were strapped tightly to her feet. Lee was next to her in the backseat, holding onto a small bag in her lap and making sure it didn't slid off. Sarah reached over to grab her hand. "Good luck tonight."

"Thanks, but I'm more worried about you," Lee tore her eyes away from the window. "Everyone here will be a vampire. Seeing a human will make them question some things."

"Yeah, you're right." Sarah averted her gaze with pursed lips. It just dawned on her she had only been to the castle once --for good reason no less-- and she had to wonder what the other residents would think of her when they spotted her. While Sarah knew she would be alright, she couldn't help but worry.

The car came to a stop, and Sarah saw Trevor open the door for her and help her to her feet. She nodded to him as a sign of thanks before turning to see Luke with wide eyes looking right at her. He wore a black suit with a red tie that stuck out. Sarah twirled a lock of hair. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Luke averted his gaze and scratched the back of his head. "You just look . . . beautiful. Am I using the right word?"

Sarah lightly flushed and averted her gaze. She nodded and Luke released a sigh. He slowly held out his arm, and Sarah took it with a smile. They waved to Trevor and Lee before slowly making their way up the steps. Sarah held onto his arm tighter with unease. Luke nodded to her in hopes of giving her some comfort before opening the door slightly. The main hall was empty save for a few servants, none of which didn't bat an eye at the human who stepped into the castle. Nevertheless, Sarah kept close to him as they stepped into the a corridor. She felt Luke tense and figured it had to do with what could happen. But, she heard faint voices from down the hall and she grew worried. Sarah turned to the other, and he nodded to her with half-lid eyes. "I can't say for sure, but they should leave you alone because you're with me."

"Right." Sarah took in a breath, and that was Luke's cue to open the door.

A large chandelier hung above them and they were greeted with a large chatter from the other guests. A small band played on the stage, and the multiple circular tables that were neatly placed across the room were covered with various fruits, vegetables, meats, and drinks. The guests talked away as other servants brought different sorts of trays to them as well as placing them on the tables.

Sarah took one step inside, and the loud chatter had soon turned into a hushed whisper. She kept close to Luke and shrouded away as all eyes were on her. Now that she had a better look, she saw that most of them were dressed more professionally than others. Sarah believed they were at a higher status (it was a monarchy, after all.). One of them cleared his throat to speak. "I hate to ask, but why is there a human here?"

"Does the king know she's here?"

"The king knows of her." Trevor spoke from behind the pair with Faith at his side. Her yellow dress matched well with her eyes, and her hair had been tied in a braid that hung over her shoulder. "And I have half the mind to believe he would be disappointed if she hadn't arrived."

"But she's a human, Sir. Does she know who we are?"

"She knows perfectly well who we are," Luke spoke up with a slight glare. "I'd appreciate it if you turned your attention elsewhere."

Sarah was a bit surprised at his language. Normally, he spoke more casually. She figured it had to do with the setting they were in. The other guests lessened their glares, but turned away with a scoff and continued on with their conversations. Luke sighed and turned to her with concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

"We have some time to kill," Luke glanced around, his glare being replaced with a calm smile. "Want some food?"

"That would be nice." Luke held out his hand with a smirk and led her to one of the buffet tables. The two of them each grabbed a small plate and made their way around the table, taking whatever cheeses, crackers, and berries that could fit on their plate. Afterwards, they made their way towards an empty corner of the room to chat. They were soon joined by Faith and Maximus, who had brought their own plates to the conversation. Trevor had disappeared somewhere through the crowd, but they weren't worried. Sarah was given a few glances by other guests passing by, but she had learned not to make eye contact and ignore them.

The lights dimmed immensely, and the crowd grew silent. There was a light murmur across the guests and footsteps were heard from the stage. There was a spotlight, and Trevor was seen standing at the front. He had his hands folded together in front of him as he spoke. "Presenting His Majesty, King Virgil Voronin."

Applause was heard after a brief moment, and Virgil stepped forward with the normal smirk he wore. He waved at the people, but somehow, Sarah didn't believe his smile. She felt Luke squeeze her hand, and she couldn't help but return it. Trevor led the king off of the stage and into a nearby corner, but Trevor stayed in front of the now closed curtains. He took in another breath before speaking. "We will begin the night with a performance by someone specifically requested by the king and someone who is very dear to me. Presenting to the stage, Lillee Xingchen!"

The lights dimmed further as Trevor left the stage to join his family in the back. There was a pause before the curtains opened once again. A soft piano medley was heard, and slowly, a spotlight shone itself on the brunette on stage. Lee's hair had been pulled into a pair of buns that were held in place by a green ribbon. She had on a short, green qipao dress that had a leaf pattern across it, and she had open-toed black heels on her feet. She had black-fingerless gloves and a wristband made in a material Sarah couldn't make out.

Lee began singing in her native language, and the guests' eyes had collectively widened. Sarah had to hold back a snort, but kept her eyes on her sister's performance as she began to dance. Her movements were fluid and full of emotion as they were during their years in theater production. She had projected her voice as normal, but Sarah felt something was off. Her voice was a mix of sadness and anger, but mostly anger. Obviously, she knew the anger was directed at Virgil, but the sadness confused her.

"Whoa." She heard a breath and turned to see Maximus gawking at the brunette. She could practically see the hearts in his eyes and she nudged him to snap him out of it. Maximus blinked in surprise and turned to her in confusion and she giggled before pointing to her sister. Maximus then averted his gaze with a light blush, and it made her smile widen.

When the song ended, there was a roar of applause as Lee bowed to the crowd and the curtains closed in front of her. The lights came back on, and Virgil stepped on stage with a more confident smile than he had before. "I thank Lillee for that wonderful performance," He said with a light clap before turning back to the guests. "Now everyone, I hope you enjoy the rest of your time."

The chatter began again, and Lee returned to the room wearing a more formal dress than what she wore during her performance. Immediately, she was bombarded with praise the minute she stepped inside the room. She quickly responded to them before scampering across the room to join her sister. "So, how did I do?"

"Great," Sarah held her hands with a grin. "You could use a little work since it's been a while, but you did great."

Lee scratched the back of her head with a sheepish smile. She turned to Maximus and twirled one of her pigtails as though she was expecting a response from him. Maximus coughed and held one of his arms. "I have no words." He spoke softly, and that made Lee's smile widen. Sarah crossed her arms before looking to see a ravenette girl --the same ravenette girl she spotted after her walk with Virgil-- holding onto Maximus's hand. She jumped as a result, and that brought his attention back. "Oh, you haven't met. Sarah, this is my niece, Elena."

"Nice to meet you," Sarah held out her hand gently, and Elena took it shyly. "Unless you have any other siblings, I take it she's Virgil's." Elena lowered her gaze and Maximus nodded. Sarah knew there was a story to be told, but she didn't want to interrogate them. Sarah lowered her head and spotted a bandage on Elena's arm; she wasn't sure if it was a wound or not, but she got a confirmation when the girl slapped a hand over it with a fearful gaze. Sarah bit the corner of her lip before shaking her head and giving the girl a smile.

Lee had pulled Maximus to the dance floor moments later, and Elena scampered over towards the buffet table for food. Trevor and Faith were already dancing together with a smile Sarah never thought she would see on the older vampire. She glanced around and realized she never saw Luke anywhere on the floor, although she noticed Virgil glancing at her from his throne. She turned away and spotted the ravenette leaning against the balcony rail. "Why are you over here?"

Luke lifted his head and turned to face her approach his side. "I just wanted to be alone for a bit. Wanted to think about stuff."

"What stuff were you thinking about?"

Sarah tilted her head and leaned in to get a better look at his face. He looked as though he was deep in thought and it looked like it was bothering him. Sarah placed a comforting hand on his arm and softened her gaze. Luke sighed and lowered his gaze. "I-I don't know. The future, I guess. Our future."

Sarah blinked in surprise as he turned to face her fully. Luke had a soft yet determined look in his eyes, but they widened when he felt fingers lace with his own. Sarah gave him a gentle smile and leaned in further with half-lid eyes. "Are you asking me to share your future?"

A light pink spread across Luke's face and the facade was gone. Sarah couldn't help but giggle as he responded. "I mean, yeah. If you want. And I don't say this every time I get into a new relationship. It's different with you. Now, it feels like I want to put effort into it. Do I sound like a dick?"

"Not at all." Sarah shook her head but felt a gentle hand cup her cheek. Luke's blush was gone and the embarrassment had faded. He looked more assertive and calm, but Sarah could tell he was still nervous. She nodded to him in affirmation, and that told Luke to lean forward to kiss her.

It was only a quick peck, happening before either of them could blink. Luke pulled his hand away with a sigh, a satisfied look resting in his eyes as his hand slowly wrapped around her waist. Sarah leaned into the hold and hooked her arm around his back. Luke leaned against her as they glanced down at the gardens underneath them.

The crickets chirped loudly, but not enough to drown out the crowd inside. There was a light, autumn breeze in the air that brought peace with it as it washed over them. The breeze made its way into the ballroom, but it didn't bother the guests as they continued to chat and dance. But when the air hit Virgil's face, it was tense. He eyed the crowd carefully, almost glaring when he spotted his brother smiling happily as he danced with Lee across the floor. His eyebrows furrowed, a scowl came across his lips, and soon, his mind was filled with his image replacing the brunette's. The scowl turned into a smirk and his eyes trailed over to the pair on the balcony. Virgil chuckled grimly and sat up with eagerness, thinking to himself about how to get them out of the picture.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Are you sure this is alright?"

Luke shrugged with concern as they approached the Snow manor. Sarah relaxed her shoulder as her hands slipped from the steering wheel. She waved at the servants stepping towards the car so they could take it into the garage. She and Luke stepped towards the front doors, watching the car disappear from sight. "William won't bite off you head," She responded to him gently. "I've already met your family, so it's fair that you meet the rest of mine. Especially when we're in a more serious relationship."

"You're right. Sorry for asking."

"No, it's okay to be worried. You don't know what impression you'll give off."

"I hope it's a good one."

Sarah giggled as they entered the main hall. She took his hand before leading him towards the east corridor in silence. Sarah could tell he was nervous and she couldn't exactly blame him. He was about to meet one of the men he looked up to. And it's not like he wouldn't have any other chances. He was Sarah's stepfather for goodness sake; he could see him anytime he wanted. There wasn't a problem with that.

"Micah, can you see if William is available?" Sarah asked a nearby servant gleefully. "I want him to meet someone."

"He'll always make time for you and your siblings, Miss."

The servant nodded before stepping further into the corridor. Sarah looked over and saw Luke slightly pale. She smiled and squeezed his hand for comfort. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll like you."

"I hope so." Luke scratched the back of his head sheepishly with a light chuckle.

Luckily, the two didn't have to wait long as the servant returned to them with a smile. Luke held in a breath as they followed the servant quietly down the hall. He glanced around at the windows and paintings that hung on the walls, noticing how some of them looked older than they appeared. He had to guess they were a few decades old and probably ran in the family. He would ask, but he didn't want to pry into family matters in fear of making a bad impression. Luke had to wonder what the man was like off camera; Surely, he wouldn't be so bad if Sarah was excited to see him again.

The servant gestured them to a pair of double doors before bowing and walking off. Both of them had six panels each and were an apricot color which fit well with the cream-colored walls that were covered in a yellow, leafy pattern. The handles were a dark gold color and were adjacent to one another. Sarah glanced over at the partner with a smirk. "Are you ready?"

"No, but what choice do I have?" Sarah chuckled before releasing a breath. She pulled on one of the handles and the door opened slowly before them.

William Snow was a man who appeared to be in his early-to-mid 40s with slick-back, dark brown hair and matching eyes. There were a few gray strands of hair mixed with the brown, but they were so hidden, Luke would have missed them easily. There were a few wrinkles running along his cheeks, and stubble was wrapped around his jawline and chin. On each side of him were two boys with features that closely matched Sarah's: one of the boys was Noah, and the other seemed to be a little older.

All three of their heads perked up when Sarah and Luke entered the door. The older boy's eyes lit up as he grinned, jumping off of the couch and almost tackling the teen. "You're back, Mom!"

"I told you I would." She ruffled his hair and he responded with a grin, and Luke was taken aback with what he had called her. When she lifted her head, William had gotten out of his seat and was standing in front of the three of them. Immediately, he had pulled the teen into a hug, and she didn't hesitate to return it. Eventually, Noah joined in on the hug, giving a nervous glance to Luke before hiding his face in Sarah's shirt.

Luke was finally noticed when they pulled away. William lifted an eyebrow at the sight of him. "And who is this, my dear?"

"William, Michael, this is Luke. He's the one who technically saved me from the attack back in May," Sarah started as she made a gesture towards her partner before her cheeks. "We've been hanging out since June, and now we're dating."

Noah blinked in surprise and he turned to Luke for confirmation. The man nodded and wrapped an arm around Sarah to pull her close. The older boy tilted his head before turning to face William with confusion. William lifted an eyebrow but smiled regardless. "I see," He stated calmly. "And how long has this been going on?"

"A couple weeks. We're not rushing anything." Sarah wasn't exactly lying either. Since their confession, hardly anything had changed between them except for the occasional flirt and a peck on the cheek. Luke had already known to restrain himself during work hours, but even after those hours were over, the most he and Sarah ever did was cuddle. There were a few neck kisses here and there, but never lower. There were lines he thought he couldn't cross yet. Maybe sometime in the future, but not where he is currently.

"What do you do, Mr. Luke?"

"Me?" Luke snapped out of thought at the question. "Well, I work part-time at the library downtown. I'm a fan of reading, and it's where Sarah and I met a month after the attack," He sheepishly scratched the back of his head, hoping he said it right. "She treated for lunch, and we've been seeing each other ever since."

"I see."

"Luke, you already know Noah," She gestured to the younger boy and he shyly hid behind his father. "But this is my other brother, Michael."

"Nice to meet you!" Michael shook his hand with a smile before turning to William in confusion. "Dad, why are you okay with Mom having a boyfriend?"

"That's not Momma, Michael," Noah piped up from behind the older man. "That's Sarah. Momma didn't have white hair."

"O-Oh," The older boy turned back to his elder sister and blinked in surprise. "O-Oh! It all makes sense now. S-She just looks so much like Mom, so. . ." He trailed off with a lowered head and labored breaths. There was panic in his eyes and he was visibly shaking. "S-Sorry, Sis."

"Hey, don't apologize."

"B-But-"

The words were caught in his throat, and Luke had half the mind to ask if he was alright. But the look Sarah was giving him made him hold his tongue. A few seconds later, Michael had burst into tears, loudly sobbing in the now quiet lounge. William had bent down to wrap arms around the boy, pushing his face in his shoulder to muffle his cries. Noah had placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and gave Sarah a concerning look. She averted her gaze sheepishly and held her hands behind her back. "We'll be here for a bit," William spoke up. "Why don't you show Mr. Luke around the mansion? I'm sure he'd like a tour."

Luke was about to object the idea, but he knew they needed a minute to calm Michael down, and he knew he wasn't going to get an explanation with him in the room. The two nodded before exiting the large room, leaving behind Michael's cries in favor of a quiet place.

Sarah led the other through the halls with gritted teeth. Luke assumed whatever Noah said had struck a nerve as she was more nervous than she was when they first entered the room. No, maybe it was a touchy subject. Sarah did mention the family hadn't been the same since her mother died; Maybe that was the reason.

Sarah led him into what looked like an empty bedroom with ocean blue walls and a white carpet. There was a blue loveseat next to the window, and Sarah patted the seat next to her for him to sit in. One he sat down, she breathed out a sigh. "Sorry about that. I should have expected him to call me that."

"It's okay. But, if you don't mind, what exactly happened to your mom?" Sarah bit the corner of her lip and curled her hands into fists. Luke felt his heart sink. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't have asked-"

"No no, you deserve to know what happened after Michael called me that," Luke reached over to hold one of her hands before she continued. "Lee and I were 13. Michael was about 4, and Noah was 2. Mom was gone for most of the afternoon, but we knew she would be back before dark. It was sunset, and we were wondering where she was. William was in a panic. It sounded like he was yelling at us. He had pushed us in a car and said we had to go to the hospital. Lee and I had already figured out that something had happened to Mom, and we were worried with how our brothers would handle it."

"Well, we saw that. What happened to her?"

"Some drunk idiot hit her on the highway, and her car fell in a ditch," Sarah's response held venom. "He was also hurt, but it wasn't as bad as Mom's. He was immediately arrested once he was released."

"And your mom died from her injuries?"

Sarah nodded, keeping her gaze lowered to the floor. "Noah hung out more with William anyway, so I don't think he was as affected as the rest of us. He was 2, so he doesn't remember much of Mom. William sank into a depression, and I had to be Mom 2.0 for Michael until he was reminded that she was gone. He didn't eat for a while, and he kept crying about some promise Mom made to him."

"And he calls you that because. . ." Sarah stood from her spot on the loveseat and strode over towards the dresser, smiling softly at a small picture frame that sat at the corner. She held it gently in her hands before stepping over to Luke and showing him. The picture showed a young woman with blonde hair tied in a neat bun and had the same baby blue eyes Sarah held; the two were practically identical. Although, Sarah had different cheekbones which Luke assumed she got from her biological father. "Oh. I see it now."

"You see how hard it was to keep telling him?" Sarah averted her gaze again and set the frame back on the dresser. "It got rather annoying at times, but I didn't want to make him cry. We thought he would grow out of it, but. . ."

"That didn't happen." Luke crossed his arms at her nod. "I don't want to pry into your business, but I think for the good of everyone, I think he should get help."

"Yeah."

Sarah had a pained smile, but Luke could tell from the look in her eye that she couldn't help but agree. Luke sighed and got off of the loveseat, glancing at his phone to check the time. "We should be heading out soon. I want to check on them first." Before doing anything else, he pulled Sarah into a tight hug, pecking the top of her head and she returned it. They stood in silence for a moment, letting it linger in the air before Luke tilted her head up to kiss her. When they pulled away, Sarah seemed to look less worried, but it still rested in her eyes. Luke gestured to the door. "Lead the way. I don't want to get lost."

Sarah chuckled and pulled on the door handle with Luke still squeezing her hand tightly. "Alright. Let's tell William we're heading home."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Has Elena been able to do anything fun?"

Maximus lifted an eyebrow at the girl's question, his teeth sunken in the top of a blueberry muffin. Lee had come by to visit the castle for brunch, and she didn't exactly know how she managed to avoid Virgil throughout her visit, but she was grateful. She assumed he had found someone else to pester instead of trying to make her life miserable. Lee was nibbling on a forkful of carrot cake with her legs crossed in the chair, and Maximus had a half-eaten plate of eggs and a mug of tea next to it. He crossed his arms in thought as she asked again. "Like, has she been able to do anything with Virgil being. . . Virgil?"

"I can't remember a time where she has," He replied somberly. "I think the last time was when Trevor took us all to Disneyland."

"And when was that?"

Maximus squinted his eyes in thought. "Five years ago, I think."

Lee's eyes almost bulged out of her head at the response, and the way the other was looking at her told her he wasn't lying. She crossed her arms with pursed lips, tilted her head to the side with a hum. She set the fork down next to the small blob of icing that was left on her plate. "Well, there's a fair this weekend, and I wanted to know if you two wanted to come."

"Us?" Maximus blinked in surprise with the teacup pressed against his lips.

Lee nodded. "Yeah. I was thinking about it last night, and at first, I wanted it to just be the two of us," Maximus's face immediately flushed red. "But then I wondered if she ever went to one, and if she didn't, then I would feel bad."

The blush was replaced with a soft smile. She didn't have to include the girl into her plans, but she did anyway. He set the teacup back on the table and leaned back with a stretch. "I think she might enjoy it. Do you want me to tell her now?"

"I'll come with you." In an instant, the two of them stood from their chairs, deciding that the servants would deal with their empty plates when they passed by. Maximus led the way as he had a good idea as to where Elena could be. He mentioned the plates to a few passing servants, and they nodded in return before scampering off. Lee stepped after him through the halls, staying close behind him in case they want into unwanted individuals.

Maximus peered into a nearby bedroom and spotted the ravenette girl on the floor with her eyes glued to a coloring book. Her legs were swung in the air and she had a pondering look on her face as he and Lee entered the room. She lifted her head with confusion as he knelt down with a smile. "Elena, would you like to go somewhere this weekend?"

Elena's eyes lit up and she immediately sat up with excitement and almost got to her feet. Maximus couldn't help but chuckle. "Lee and I are going to the fair, and we were wondering if you wanted to come along."

"Can I?"

"If you want to, Elle." Elena lowered her head with furrowed brows and bit the corner of her lip. A second later, she turned back to her uncle and nodded with a grin. Maximus stood up and turned to the other brunette in the room who had stepped closer towards them.

"And what are you all doing?"

Elena immediately hid behind the brunette man as the three of them turned to see Virgil peering into the room with his hands in his pockets and a lifted eyebrow. Lee wanted to punch the smug look off his face, but she held herself back knowing full well what he could do to her. "None of your business." She spat instead.

"But I deserve to know what my family is up to."

"That will get you nowhere," Maximus gave him a cold glare as he pulled Elena closer. "Especially when you want nothing to do with me."

"Bold of you to assume you're the only bastard."

"I am. Elena isn't a bastard and you know it." Virgil's smirk was replaced with a frown, and Lee stepped in front of the two when she saw the hazel color in his eyes turn red. She pulled them behind her with a glare and she felt Maximus grab her shoulder tightly. Elena began to whimper quietly and she buried her face in Maximus's arm to avoid the king's potential wrath. There were three pairs of crimson gazes staring down at each other angrily with neither side pulling back. Lee had curled her hands into fists, throwing away whatever doubt or fear she had and replacing it with the temptation to fight the man before her. Maximus felt Elena grab the back of his shirt in fear and it only made his glare harden.

Eventually, Virgil's eyes turned back hazel, and he shrugged and stepped away without a word. Both brunettes let out a relieved sigh and turned back to the girl. "So, is that a yes?"

* * *

Elena's eyes widened in excitement at the sight of the booths and lights that surrounded them. There were multiple groups of friends and families that were either in line for rides of playing a few games to win prizes. She spun around in the center of the area with a giggle, jerking around to a shooting game where her eyes lit up at a plush hanging from the top of the tent. "Uncle Max, over there!"

The two brunettes followed her to the counter where she jumped in place eagerly and pointed at the plush: it was a beige rabbit with brown lopped ears that was almost larger than Elena's head. It had black, beady eyes and a identical brown spot covering the left eye. Elena turned back to her uncle with a grin. "That one!"

"I'll be damned," The vendor crossed his arms with a smirk, reaching a hand up to stroke the white stubble that littered his chin. He glanced at the brunette whose arm was being tugged on. "It seems your daughter wants to try for the ultimate prize."

Maximus immediately sated the blush that was on his cheeks, but it didn't stop him from coughing awkwardly. "You're mistaken, sir. This is my niece."

"Either way, she's yours." Maximus scratched the back of his head as the vendor continued, pointing to the target in the far back. "You see that target back there? Not a lot of people can make that shot. It's a tricky one. Make the shot, and the animal is yours."

"Please, Uncle Max?"

"You might as well do it." Lee smirked with a hand on her hip. Maximus rolled his eyes and held his hand out for a rifle. The vendor smirked and almost slammed the weapon in his hand. Maximus glanced at the two girls again. Lee held up to two thumbs up and a grin and Elena was jumping in place expectantly. Maximus shook his head and took aim, eyes narrowing on the small target and squinting. He closed one eye, relaxed his shoulders, and released the breath he was holding in. Then, he pulled the trigger.

It was a perfect shot.

Elena's smile widened and Lee lifted an eyebrow. Maximus couldn't help but smirk as the vendor blinked in shock. He sighed, gave the brunette a smile, and reached up to pull the rabbit off of its hook. Once it touched Maximus's fingers, the group thanked the vendor before stepping away back towards the central area of the fair. "Here." When he handed the girl the plush, she immediately grabbed it and hugged it tightly with another squeal.

Lee couldn't help but giggle at her reaction before she turned to Maximus with a smirk. "I know what you did."

"Huh?"

She pointed to one of her eyes. "Your eyes gave it away. You cheated, didn't you?"

"I only unrigged it," Maximus responded. "Made it fair for the three of us."

For the next hour, the smile never left Elena's face as they played whatever games she wanted even when she didn't win them. She had gotten one of the brunettes on any ride she wanted to get on even if they made her dizzy. During one of their breaks, the three of them had shared a funnel cake while watching one of the rides go off next to them. Lee had to admit she was enjoying herself; she was glad to get her mind off of the unnecessary drama surrounding the royal family, and by the look on Maximus's face, he was glad to finally relax.

"Is there a ride you want to go on before we leave?" Maximus asked the girl as he checked the time on his phone.

Elena looked around, the rabbits ears almost slapping her in the face as she thought about what she wanted to do. She pulled on Lee's arm and pointed to the moderately large ferris wheel at the edge of the fair. "You wanted to save that for last?" Elena nodded at her question. Lee shrugged with a smile before pulling the two along towards the giant wheel. As they stood in line, Maximus spotted the various families and couples that were going in and out of the fair entrance, watching them kiss and flirt with each other as they continued on their parting ways. He couldn't help but frown and turn his attention to the brunette who was happily chatting with his niece. The sight of her smile made his heart swell.

It took a good ten minutes, but the three of them climbed inside the tiny car and slowly felt themselves being lifted high in the air. Elena peered down to watch the ground move farther and farther away, and she had to pull herself away from the edge to not scare herself. Instead, her focus shifted to the stars above them. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened in awe, and she had slumped in her seat between the two brunettes. Maximus had to hold back a snort. "Overwhelming?"

"Y-Yeah."

"But it's pretty right?" Lee asked her.

"Yeah."

Elena's eyes were filled with content and she leaned against her uncle's arm. Lee petted her head gently with a soft gaze before turning it to the smiling vampire who kept his gaze on the sky. They stayed at the top of the ferris wheel for another few minutes before they made their way back down, doing another few rotations before they got off of the ride completely. Both brunettes noticed that Elena's movements had gotten more slower and sluggish. Her feet were dragging across the ground and she kept rubbing one of her eyes. Lee placed a hand on her back to keep her upright. "I'll take you both home."

The walk to the parking lot was quiet, and neither of them minded the silence. Lee had to repeatedly press the button on her car key to see where exactly she had left it, and once she found it, the three climbed inside and headed back to Ardeal Castle. With the soda straw in his mouth, Maximus peeked behind him to see Elena half-asleep in the backseat, and he couldn't help but smile and turn his eyes back on the road. "Thank you, Lee. I actually needed this."

"I thought you did," Lee shrugged in response. "Both of you did. It's a great distraction."

"Now we're back to reality."

That made them both frown, and Lee's grip tightened on the wheel. The moment they were within sight of the castle, the fun was over and it was back to fearing for their lives. Neither of them were looking forward to it, and Lee had half the mind to drive them to her place instead to save them from the trouble. But a part of her had a feeling it would probably make the stigma and hypocriticism worse. She glanced in the rear window to see Elena using the rabbit as a sort of pillow with a smile on her face, and she couldn't help but imagine that smile fading at the sight of the king.

When she pulled up to the steps, Maximus wasted no time in shaking the girl awake so she could pull herself out of the car. Maximus helped her to her feet and she gave the other brunette a wave. "Bye, Aunt Lee."

Lee blinked in surprise, but she smiled and waved back. What she wasn't expecting was for Maximus to half crawl back in the car and gently take her hands in his. He bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckle and gave her a smile. "Thank you for tonight."

Lee snorted with a smile and a light blush as she slowly pulled her hand away. She waited for the two of them to enter the front doors --no doubt receiving another wave before they did so-- before she pulled away through the front gates. She relaxed her shoulders and let her blush fade, humming a light tune to herself as she drove down the dark streets, hoping her headlights would be enough to get her home.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The sun had already set below the mountains and the moon took its place in the skies of Willowcrest. The air had gotten colder because of the changing seasons, but the town remained as lively as ever. While the citizens were still on edge from the summer attack, most people thought it was a one-time thing and there was nothing else to worry about. Others thought it was only the calm before the storm and the situation was about to get worse.

Sarah lifted an eyebrow as she watched Lazarus pace around his room and mutter to himself in nothing but a pair of jeans. His hair had been pulled in a ponytail to keep it from getting in his face. Faith had peered into the room with confusion, but once she was able to pick up what he was saying, she shook her head with a smile. Sarah gave her a look. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," Faith replied with a grin. "Laz has a date tonight."

Sarah smiled and turned back to the brunette. "How sweet. What time are they coming over?"

"Twenty minutes." Lazarus responded instead before he almost threw himself into his closet to find something to wear. He dug out a solid red shirt with a gray plaid jacket on top of it. "What do you think?" He asked with slight desperation before shaking his head. "No, I'll look like I'm from the South. Next." He tossed it on his bed and went back into the small space.

"Are you that excited?" Sarah asked with crossed arms.

"Well, even if it doesn't work out, I have to look like I made an effort." Lazarus explained while pulling out a black button-up. He pulled at the collar with a puffed out cheek, contemplating if he should unbutton it or leave it as it is. He hung it on the doorknob and tossed the red shirt over his head.

"Well, I hope you have fun."

"I hope so too." Lazarus pulled on the button-up and took his hair out of the ponytail to straighten it out. Faith rolled her eyes with a snicker and stepped back towards the living room to join Lee on the couch.

Trevor had business to attend to at Ardeal Castle, and he had asked Luke to come with him to make sure everything went well. Because he didn't trust his younger children alone at the house by themselves despite them being teenagers, he asked Sarah and Lee to watch over things until they returned.

Sarah returned to the living room after Lazarus scurried into the bathroom and sat between them on the couch. "Sorry that my brother can be such a girl sometimes," Faith apologized with a smile. "But I like that he looks like he's trying. Wish he would do that with his grades."

Lee chuckled as a result as she scrolled through her phone. "Didn't he go on a date with some girl a couple weeks ago? He sure moves on quickly."

"He's trying out some stuff. Everyone at school is doing it."

"And you?"

"I figured myself out."

Lee lifted an eyebrow and set her phone in her lap. "And what do you like?"

"Nothing," Faith replied proudly. "Absolutely nothing. I'm ace."

"Huh." Lee blinked in surprise and turned to her sister, silently asking if she had already known. Sarah nodded with a smile. Lee shrugged as a result. "Cool. Glad you figured that out."

"It's great actually," Faith bent down in front of the TV stand and pulled open a drawer full of movies. "When I told Daddy, he was pretty okay with it. The guys were too."

"Of course. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be dating your brother." Faith giggled as she pulled out a movie for them to watch. Lazarus came downstairs with a confident smile on his face before he scurried over to a mirror. There was a knock at the door and Sarah pushed herself off of the couch to answer it. Her first thought was his date for the night, and she had to wonder who they were and what they were like.

When she opened the door, she spotted a young boy with tousled hair and freckles.

Both of them blinked in surprise and the boy rubbed one of his arms nervously. "I-I'm here for Lazarus." He stammered softly.

"Just a second." Sarah turned around and called out for the brunette. Immediately, Lazarus scurried to her side while pulling on the hem of his shirt. They exchanged greetings before the other girls in the house stepped over to see him off. As he waved, Sarah spoke up to the other boy. "Make sure you're back by 11. I don't know what Trevor would say if you were out past midnight."

"Will do!" The two boys stepped out of the house while the girls watched them drive off down the road. When Sarah closed the door, Faith had returned to the TV stands to pull out more movies to watch. Lee was at her side eyeing the stack with a lifted eyebrow. "When Trevor called you a Disney princess, he wasn't kidding." At least eight of the ten films Faith picked out were from the Disney Renaissance, and she had pulled out a copy of _The Aristocats_ to add to the pile.

Sarah sat next to her and pulled it out of her hand. "I doubt we'll be able to watch all of them tonight. Can you pick a few?" Faith tilted her head with a low hum and she slowly started to put away most of the stack. Sarah smiled and stood up. "I'll get some snacks for us. Any preferences?"

"I saw a bag of tortilla chips in the pantry," Lee spoke up and pointed to the kitchen. "There's salsa over there too."

"If that's the case, let's enjoy ourselves." Sarah scurried into the kitchen to grab a large bag of chips and salsa. She made a few trips to make sure the three of them had all of the food they needed. Faith had gone upstairs to grab a few blankets, having a feeling they were going to spend the night in the living room, and also grabbing her signature yellow bean bag so she could take her spot on the floor. Lee had her hand in a bowl of popcorn she shared with her sister and they were both curled up on the couch. Lee was wrapped in a green blanket covered with panda bears and Sarah was wrapped in a blue blanket with white snowflakes on it. Faith popped in the movie and plopped herself on the beanbag at the foot of the couch. She skipped as many of the previews as she possibly could before relaxing at the Disney theme that played through the TV speakers.

The three of them were watching the final act of _Tangled_ when the front door a couple hours later, and Sarah turned her head away to see Trevor and Luke step into the room after hanging their coats on a nearby rack. Luke lifted an eyebrow at the half-eaten bag of tortilla chips and plucked it off of the couch. "And what have you been doing while we were gone?" He asked as he pressed a kiss to her temple before taking the spot next to her. He adjusted the girl to where she was sitting between his legs and he had his arms wrapped around her midriff. Sarah smiled and leaned into his chest as she pointed at the TV which showed Flynn Rider breaking out of his cell in Corona.

Trevor glanced around the room with a lifted eyebrow. "Where is Lazarus?"

"On a date," Faith replied as she took a sip of water. "Sarah said he had to be back by 11." It was currently 9:30.

"He's a responsible kid. He'll be alright." Luke sighed and rested his elbow on the armrest.

"How was Virgil?" Lee asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"Same as always," Trevor replied. "He almost threw a tantrum because Luke said it wasn't a good idea to target one of the noblemen who spoke against him."

"So, nothing out of the ordinary then."

When the movie ended, the girls began to pack everything away. Faith took care of the blankets while Lee took care of the food. Sarah packed away their belongings so they wouldn't forget anything. Lee hugged the younger teen with a grin before she waved at the other vampires and scurrying out of the door. Sarah hauled her bag over her shoulder and tilted her head upwards to peck a kiss on Luke's cheek. Before she could, Luke turned his head so he could kiss her completely. Trevor shook his head with a smile, Faith playfully gagged, and Lee had pulled her away with a smile the moment she was let go. Sarah winked at them before closing the door behind them and stepping into the driveway.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

A dance with the king would be the last thing Lee would ever think about doing. If it wasn't for the possible threats on her life, she would have said no right away when Trevor approached her with the offer. She had no intentions of being anywhere near him. But here she was, standing in front of a tall mirror and brushing her hair out of its normal, pig-tailed style. She reminded herself to apologize to her sister for asking for a dress on such short notice. It was a short, blue qipao dress with a dragon pattern running across it. There was a matching hairpin tied in her chestnut locks, and she tucked a strand behind her ear. Lee bent down to pull the stockings up her legs just as the door opened. Maximus stood in the frame with his hand still on the door handle, and his eyes slightly widened. "Hi." He blurted out stupidly. "You look nice."

"Well, I have to," Lee responded while pulling away from the mirror. "Your brother might bite my head off if I don't."

"You have a point," Maximus couldn't help but shake his head. "God, I'm more worried of what he'll do. He'll probably ask you to marry him."

Lee froze on the spot and Maximus placed a hand over his mouth once he realized what he said. They were silent for a moment before the two of them burst into laughter. Maximus had to wipe a tear from his eye as Lee bent over while trying to catch her breath. "There's no way. He's not that crazy." She breathed.

"You're right," Maximus glanced over at the clock before frowning at the time. "You should get going."

Lee followed his gaze and furrowed her brows. She slipped on a pair of dark blue heels and checked herself in the mirror one last time. Lee barely had time to step to the door before she was pulled into a hug. It was warm in Maximus's arms, and if it were up to her, she'd stay there as long as she wanted. She nuzzled his shoulder tightly and let her fingers cling to the back of his shirt. Lee felt a pair of lips pressed against the side of her neck, but she couldn't tell if it was a kiss or not.

Lee felt a sour taste grow in her mouth when she pulled herself back, and it only became stronger with the sad look Maximus was giving her. Maximus jerked his hands away once he realized they were still on her waist. "I'm sorry," He mumbled. "Good luck."

"Thanks. . ." Lee hated how she said that. She bit the inside of her cheek without another word and headed for the open door. Maximus followed her into the hall and closed the door behind them, but he didn't walk in the same direction she did.

Lee's heels clicked across the floor as she stepped through the halls with her hands behind her back. She kept her head lowered in thought. Lee was unsure as to how the night would go, but knowing the king's track record, it wouldn't go the way neither of them wanted, and it would have consequences regardless of how it turned out. She released a breath and stepped down the large staircase, keeping her hand on the rail until she stepped towards the doors behind it. Lee released the fist she held and reached out to pull the door open.

The ballroom looked like something out of a Disney movie only without the cheerful demeanor. The walls were painted a dark gold and gray and were decorated with various patterns on the floors and walls. The large chandelier in the middle of the ceiling was dimmed, and as her gaze followed it, she frowned at the man waiting underneath it. He wore one of his normal black suits --although to Lee, it looked fancier than the other suits-- and when he turned around, she saw a dark, red rose crest over his heart. "You're late." She could tell he was trying not to sound angry. He stepped closer and lifted her chin. "But, you're dressed well enough, so I'll excuse it."

Lee had to stop herself from rolling her eyes as she pulled her face away. Virgil stepped away to put some space between them with a smirk, and he snapped his fingers in the air. A soft, piano melody began to fill the room. Lee jerked around, trying to see where the sound was coming from because she knew Virgil couldn't create music out of nothing. She flinched when the man offered his hand to her, and she was greeted with a slight frown when she turned to face him. "I don't have all day, Lillee."

The scoff Lee released made the frown turn into a glare as she took his hand. Virgil pulled her forward and placed his free hand on her hip. Slowly, the two began to move along with the music. While Lee wasn't enthusiastic about the dance, she knew playing along would be better than angering him. She followed his steps and kept her eyes on his now crimson gaze no matter how much she wanted to turn away from it. Virgil's scowl didn't let up. "I see you've been with my brother."

"What about it?" Lee was twirled before Virgil pulled her back in.

"I don't think it's wise," Virgil dipped her much to her annoyance. "Someone like you shouldn't be around him. I understand you're close, but don't you know better than to be with a bastard like him?"

"He's less of a bastard and more of a respectable prince."

"I wouldn't even call him that," Virgil lifted her chin. "Do you want to know of all the trouble he got into after you left? The list is about as long as my arm."

"Doubt it."

Lee's voice was blank, and she held a deadpan expression despite clenching her jaw. Her grip on his shoulder tightened as they spun around. She saw Virgil smirk and felt an unsettling knot in her chest. Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears, enough to drown out the piano surrounding them. Virgil's eyes seem to grow more intense, and the knot only tightened.

Suddenly, they stopped in the middle of the floor, and Virgil's hand returned to her chin. "You're better off, my dear. I can treat you like a princess. All you need to do is ask, and I'll give it to you. That is, if you accept my offer."

Lee jerked herself away, and the music abruptly stopped.

The normal green hue in her eyes had reddened drastically as she stepped back with a snarl. She curled her hands into fists. "I'd rather be with a bastard than a madman like you." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. The door slammed shut and left the burning gaze of the king behind her.

As she sprinted down the hall, she reached down to pull off her heels to stop them from clicking across the floor. The anger was still bubbling in her throat as she stormed up the staircase to head back to the west wing. Lee had to shake his words out of her mind and curled her hands into fists with a curse.

"As expected, it didn't go well." Maximus's voice spoke in front of her, and she lifted her head to see him crossing his arms with an expected frown. Lee sighed and she nodded as a result. Maximus's frown disappeared and he held a hand out to her. "I'll escort you out." Lee nodded and took his hand.

Once she changed back in her normal clothes, she hauled the bag over her shoulder as she stood in the main hall with the brunette. Maximus had his hands at his sides as he glanced at the top of the staircase with half-lid eyes. "So, I guess I'll call you later." He nodded at Lee's statement with a hum to indicate he heard her. He bit the corner of his lip with furrowed brows. There was an eerie feeling in the pit of his stomach he couldn't ignore, and it was eating away at him. He frowned with gritted teeth.

Maximus felt something soft press against his cheek, and it took him a second to realize it was a kiss. His eyes widened as his head shot back to the smiling Lee as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "See you soon."

"Y-Yeah." Maximus felt his accent come in full force, and Lee couldn't help but chuckle before she pulled open the door. She winked at him before stepping into the darkness, and the door closed with a soft click. He sighed, letting the smile come back on his face as he turned back around. That was immediately short-lived as he saw black the second he placed a hand on the rail.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

There was a rock in Luke's stomach when he spotted the headlights from Trevor's car peeking through the curtains of the living room. The pencil he was holding rolled onto the papers sitting in front of his teenage brother. Lazarus tore his eyes away from the problem he was working on to face him. "What's up? Trevor's back?"

Across from him, Faith lifted her head in confusion. Sarah --who was next to her helping out with a separate question-- turned to the raven with a lifted eyebrow. She pursed her lips. "Something's wrong. I don't like that look on your face."

"Stay here." Luke ruffled his brother's hair and stood from the table. He pulled at the collar of his hoodie, hearing the car engine turn off outside. Luke pulled open the front door to see his foster father frantically rushing to the passenger side of the car. Now he had to know what was going on. When Trevor left, he told his other children he was going to get Maximus from the castle, and from that, the party knew nothing good came out of it. Luke could see his brother in the passenger seat despite the darkness in the car, but the visible shaking was enough for him to step outside.

Trevor turned to see his eldest approach them and gave a half-smile. "Perfect timing. Help me get him inside." He was holding Maximus up by one of his arms.

Luke couldn't help but grimace. "What did Virgil do?" Who else would have his brother shaken up like this? He thought back to what Sarah told him earlier that night, that Lee was having a dance with the king. If Maximus was also there, most of the blanks in his mind were filled with the context.

"Roughed 'im up enough to scare 'im, that's for sure." Trevor groaned. "Christ Max, help me out here. You can cry all you want when we're inside."

"Come on, man. We got you." Luke held him up by the other arm and kept him steady. He closed the car door with his foot and guided the younger man towards the front door. Maximus coughed and heaved, almost falling over as he spat blood on the steps and bringing his relatives with him. Luke struggled to push the door open, and the three of them practically tumbled inside the hall. Trevor couldn't stop the two from collapsing on the floor.

There was a flurry of footsteps, and Faith peeked into the hall with wide eyes. The look on her brother's face said it all, and she stepped back in fear. "Oh my god. What did he do?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, help us."

The girl nodded and bent down to face the brunette at eye level, trying to get him to calm down as she helped the two to their feet. Slowly and steadily, they headed into the living room where Sarah and Lazarus were waiting. Maximus's state caused the teenager to whimper and hide behind the silverette. Sarah kept silent as the three of them helped the man spread across the couch to which he curled up with a shudder. Sarah swallowed the lump in her throat. "W-What happened?"

"Virgil happened," Luke spat with a scowl and kept a hand on Maximus's shoulder. "Apparently, Lee said something that got him all pissy, so he took it out on Max."

"I'm surprised he didn't kill him," Faith had relief sitting in her voice. "God knows he's tried in the past."

"Now's not the time to get sappy," Trevor replied. "Your brother needs you."

His other children nodded, and the teenagers spread into different directions. Trevor sighed and slouched on the loveseat, watching Luke try to stop the other man from spasming. Sarah had her gaze to the floor, and she rubbed one of her arms nervously. "So, how did you figure out it was him?" She asked.

Trevor held a somber look. "I've been watching him since he was born. I recognize his work when I see it, even when the injuries have healed."

"Plus, no one gets Max get this shaken up but Virgil." The hand on the brunette's shoulder tightened, and there was a hardened look in Luke's eyes. Sarah stepped over somberly and wrapped her arms around him from behind. Luke leaned into the hold with a frown.

"I don't like this," Trevor muttered. "He's getting desperate."

"Desperate for what?"

"The power he's lost," Trevor crossed his arms. "All of us here are at his beck and call, doing whatever he says with no questions asked because we know what will happen if we don't. You and Lillee are the only ones he doesn't have power over. And when Virgil doesn't have power over something or someone, he'll do anything to get it."

"Makes me worried about what he could do to you." Luke's tone was dark, and he tightened his grip on her arm. Sarah kissed the top of his head with half-lid eyes. She wanted to give some sort of reassurance, but out of everyone in the room, she was the one who knew the least about the king. She felt she didn't have a place to say whether she would be okay or not. A part of Sarah believed if Maximus was that shaken up from an attack, that only told her Virgil was holding back with her around.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out." That was the best Sarah could say. No one else seemed to have much confidence in the future.

But Luke lifted his head to face her. The look in his eyes softened. "We will. I'm not letting him take you without a fight."

* * *

"I've been doing some thinking."

Sarah lifted an eyebrow at him. It's been a few days since the night Maximus was attacked, and Lee spent most of her time at the house taking care of him with Trevor. They had been staying at the house ever since, but this was the first time Sarah and Lee were going back to their own home. But, Sarah decided to stop for groceries, and Luke offered to come with her so she wouldn't be alone.

Sarah glanced at the apples with furrowed brows. "What about?"

Luke scratched the back of his head. "Well, we don't know what Virgil might be up to, so it's probably not safe for you to be alone right now."

Sarah couldn't disagree with him. "So, what are you suggesting?" She asked as she placed the apples in the bag Luke was holding out.

"Since you're going back home tonight, I was wondering if I was allowed to spend the night with you."

Sarah lifted her head to look at him, and she saw a faint pink across his cheeks as his eyes faced the floor. She realized while he's been over a couple times during his days off work, he never actually spent the night with her and Lee, most likely because there wasn't a reason to or neither of them thought about it. But it wasn't something either of them had a problem with.

Sarah smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Sure, I don't mind. I can't exactly trust myself to be alone at night."

Luke blinked in surprise. "That went easier than I thought."

"You're surprised?" They both chuckled as they continued to step through the produce area. Sarah glanced around, eyes widening when she spotted the garlic sitting at the edge of the aisle. When she reached out for it, she pulled back with a concerned frown and turned to the raven next to her. "Is this okay?"

Luke shrugged. "As long as we don't eat it, we'll be okay. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh."

Sarah took another quick glance between them for another confirmation, but Luke grabbed a bag from the roller next to the vegetable and pulled it open. He reached over to grab the garlic between his fingers with a hum before sliding it in the bag. "See? I'm good." Luke tied the bag closed and set it in the small basket they were carrying around. He pecked her cheek and pulled her along. "Come on. What else do we need?"

* * *

Sarah didn't mind sharing a bed with others. In fact, she was rather used to it. During family trips, there would always be two beds in the hotel, and neither Sarah nor Lee objected to sleeping together, and there were times in the middle of the night where Michael would crawl under the covers and curl up next to her while under the illusion she was their mother. That was why she didn't think it was awkward when she suggested Luke share the bed with her instead of him sleeping in the living room. She had to admit it felt nice. Luke's arms were wrapped around her midriff in an attempt to hold her tight, and his head was in the crook of her neck. The light breathing tickled her skin, and the occasional nuzzle caused her to smile.

There was a lamppost that sat on the street outside her window. The bright luminescent yellow would always find a way to crawl through the curtains and bring some sort of light in the room. But it never shone where it would be in her eyes, but even with them closed, she would know exactly where it was: it stretched from the foot of the bed to the bottom half of the closet across from it, shining on the lower panels. Which was why she was easily woken by the dark space that split the light in two. Sarah moaned and sunk her face into the pillow, trying her best to open her eyes and see what was wrong. She shifted, causing Luke to groan and have a tighter hold on her before her eyes fluttered open slowly, turning her head towards the window.

Only to see a silhouette with crimson eyes staring right back at her.

Sarah would have jumped back and screamed. She would have tried to wake up Luke and run to her sister's room. But instead, she unlatched the arm around her and slowly sat up almost like a marionette being picked up off the floor. Panic spiked in her chest, but the fear in her eyes was overshadowed by the empty void that took its place. Sarah was still, her body not moving despite her wanting nothing more than to get away from whoever was in her room. It was like she was watching a film in a first-person perspective, and no matter what she did, she couldn't turn it off.

The panic skyrocketed when slender fingers lifted her chin. The silhouette bent down, and that's when Sarah felt a light breathing against her neck, but it wasn't a pleasant tickle. Instead, it was icy crawl right at her pulse point. The whimper was lodged in her throat, unable to get out of whatever snag was keeping it there. When a pair of lips pressed against her skin, she forgot how to breathe.

A split second later, something tackled the silhouette and Sarah threw her arms out to balance herself on the bed. Her head jerked up, finally being able to move her body at will again, and she looked to see Luke with the most vicious glare across his face pinning whoever it was to the wall. Sarah's eyes widened in shock; the silhouette turned out to be King Virgil baring his fangs at the other raven. She scrambled to the head of the bed with a hand on her neck. Luke was thrown to the ground in an instant, and that was when Sarah bolted out of the room.

She didn't even make it three steps before she was grabbed by the hair and almost pulled off her feet. Sarah grabbed at the fingers holding her, trying her best to claw them apart so she could get away. Virgil's mouth was at her neck again and was two seconds away from biting until he groaned loudly and let her go. Sarah fell on her side, and when she looked up, she saw Luke biting the older vampire from behind. She began to crawl away, jumping at a hand on her arm before whipping around to see Lee's face twisted with anger and fear.

Luke was thrown forward, but he quickly got up and threw an arm in front of the two girls. Virgil dusted off his clothes, the crimson glare remaining on his face. "I wouldn't have to use such force if you would just _submit_." He snarled.

Luke was having none of it and tackled the man again, but Virgil wasted no time in flipping them over and pinning him to the ground. Luke's pupils were blown wide when he saw that look in the king's eyes, and he threw them shut in an instant. He shot few punches, the last one colliding with Virgil's jaw and giving himself a chance to sit up. Before Virgil could even stand up, Luke threw himself again and sent them both tumbling down the stairs. Sarah wanted to follow them, but Lee pulled her back. "You're staying here."

"And be alone if he slips away? Not a chance." Sarah retorted before sprinting to the stairs. Lee groaned and rolled her eyes.

When Sarah reached the bottom step, Luke was pinned on the dining table with tight fingers around his neck and coughing loudly. He was grabbing at the hands holding him down in an attempt to pry them away. Sarah froze, knowing she would get caught in the brawl if she intervened but also knowing Luke could die if she didn't do anything. She looked around frantically to see if there was anything she could use. Her eyes trailed to a plastic bag on the kitchen counter. She sprinted past the table, looking behind her to make sure Virgil was still focused on Luke, before diving for the bag and pulling out the contents which was the garlic they had bought earlier that day. Sarah whirled around and lunged to the table. "Luke!"

Luke strained to even look at her before she tossed the vegetable in his direction. When he scrambled to grab it, he immediately shoved it into the older vampire's mouth. Virgil pulled back with a gag, allowing Luke to get off of the table and further shove the garlic down his throat. Virgil collapsed to the floor in a coughing fit, spitting up blood in the process. He had enough venom in his now watery eyes to send daggers towards the duo. Luke grabbed the girl next to him by the hand and pulled her along. "Come on! We gotta go! Lee!" He called out to the brunette still upstairs.

Instantly, Lee sprinted towards the living room, stopping when she saw the heaving man on the floor who was still trying to grab at the two. She glared, running over to kick his hand away before ushering them outside. Luke slammed the door behind them, and they scrambled into the nearest vehicle in the driveway. Lee dove into the backseat just as Luke started the engine and backed away into the street. Once he turned the corner, the three of them slumped with loud sighs. Luke intertwined his fingers with Sarah's. "Did he bite you?"

"N-No," Sarah shook her head. "You tackled him before he could." The glare on Luke's face disappeared at the words.

Lee, however, still had a disturbed look in her eyes. "He's so desperate, we're not even safe at our own home anymore." She grumbled furiously.

"You did get him at a breaking point." Luke replied.

"So what?" Lee snapped. "Not my fault he's a power hungry man-baby."

"So, what do we do now?" Sarah asked.

Luke sighed and slouched, his eyes filled with thought. "Well, you can't go back to your place since there's a chance Virgil will come back. That's only if he survived. Hmm," He bit the corner of his lip. "Maybe it would be best if you went back to your dad's."

"And tell him what? The vampire king tried to kill us?" Lee snarked with her arms crossed.

"Then, what do you suggest?"

"Well, we could stay at your place." Sarah said sincerely.

Luke glanced at her in surprise. He turned to the brunette in the backseat, who shrugged as a response. "Is that what you want?"

"I'd rather be somewhere safe in case Virgil survived and comes after me again. What better place than yours?"

"I. . . Yeah, you're right," Luke sighed in defeat. "That okay with you, Lee?"

"Actually, count me out," Lee shook her head. "I think a better place for me is at the castle."

Luke slammed on the brakes and both of them turned to her in surprise. Lee didn't meet their gazes, but she continued to speak. "Aside from being a third wheel, being at the castle is the best way for me to look after Max. If Virgil did survive, he'll be out of commission for a while, so that gives us a breather at least. I'll be fine. Nothing I can't handle."

The duo in the front gave each other a concerned look before Sarah turned back to her sister. "Alright, I trust you. But tell me if anything goes wrong."

"I will."

Sarah turned back around and slouched in her seat, keeping a hand on her neck as they continued to drive through the dark roads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please follow the Tumblr blog dedicated to this project: https://inhumanproject.tumblr.com


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